I want to install a module for my webcam, the docs tells me to unpack the archive and issue the make command. Instructions : 1) download the file http://www.saillard.org/linux/pwc/files/pwc-10.0.6.tar.bz2 (or the last available file on the site) 2) unpack the file using the command command: # tar xjf pwc-10.0.6.tar.bz2 3) compile the module (this needs the source of your actual kernel to be installed) # cd pwc-10.0.6 # make 4) login as root # su Result: Mike@P-733:~/DownLoads/WebCam> ls camE-1.9-100.SuSE.jeo.1.i586.rpm INSTALL.en pwc-10.0.6a pwc-10.0.6a.tar.bz2 Mike@P-733:~/DownLoads/WebCam> uname -r 2.6.4-52-default Mike@P-733:~/DownLoads/WebCam> cd pwc-10.0.6a Mike@P-733:~/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a> ls Makefile pwc-dec1.h pwc-if.c pwc-misc.c pwc-uncompress.c philips.txt pwc-dec23.c pwc-ioctl.h pwc-nala.h pwc-uncompress.h pwc-ctrl.c pwc-dec23.h pwc-kiara.c pwc-timon.c pwc-dec1.c pwc.h pwc-kiara.h pwc-timon.h Mike@P-733:~/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a> make make -C /lib/modules/2.6.4-52-default/build SUBDIRS=/home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/ pwc-10.0.6a modules make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.4-52' CHK include/linux/version.h SPLIT include/linux/autoconf.h -> include/config/* scripts/basic/split-include: include/config: Permission denied make[1]: *** [include/config/MARKER] Error 1 make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.4-52' make: *** [default] Error 2 I see a permission denied error (fourth line above) so I su'ed to root and reran the make command Result: Mike@P-733:~/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a> su Password: P-733:/home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a # make make -C /lib/modules/2.6.4-52-default/build SUBDIRS=/home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a modules make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.4-52' CHK include/linux/version.h SPLIT include/linux/autoconf.h -> include/config/* *** Warning: Overriding SUBDIRS on the command line can cause *** inconsistencies HOSTCC scripts/basic/fixdep {snippage this part seemed normal} CC arch/i386/kernel/asm-offsets.s CHK include/asm-i386/asm_offsets.h UPD include/asm-i386/asm_offsets.h CC [M] /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.o /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c: In function `pwc_isoc_init': /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:821: warning: unused variable `intf' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c: In function `pwc_isoc_cleanup': /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:937: warning: implicit declaration of function `usb_kill_urb' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c: At top level: /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2081: error: parse error before numeric constant /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2081: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2081: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2081: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2082: error: parse error before "int" /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2082: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2082: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2082: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2083: error: parse error before "int" /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2083: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2083: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2083: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2084: error: parse error before "int" /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2084: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2084: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2084: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2085: error: parse error before "int" /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2085: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param_named' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2085: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2085: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2086: error: parse error before "int" /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2086: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2086: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2086: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2087: error: parse error before "int" /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2087: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2087: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2087: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2089: error: parse error before "int" /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2089: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param_array' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2089: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2089: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2090: error: parse error before numeric constant /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2090: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `module_param_array' /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2090: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2090: warning: data definition has no type or storage class /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2077: warning: `leds_nargs' defined but not used /home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.c:2079: warning: `dev_hint_nargs' defined but not used make[2]: *** [/home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a/pwc-if.o] Error 1 make[1]: *** [/home/Mike/DownLoads/WebCam/pwc-10.0.6a] Error 2 make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.4-52' make: *** [default] Error 2 ------------------ I haven't actually tried to compile much in the way of modules or programs, but I figure it's a skill I want to master as not all software comes pre-compiled and in a nice RPM file for easy installation.