I figured it out.

To install nvidia-kernel with out having to recompile anything you need
the kernel-source deb for your running kernel
symlink it to /usr/src/linux
copy /boot/config-<your running kernel> to /usr/src/linux/.config
cd /usr/src
tar zxvf the nvidia-kernel-src tar.gz
cd /usr/src/linux
make-kpkg modules_image
cd ..
dpkg -i nvidia-kernel-<blah>.deb


Debian package maintainers are nice people. :)



Jason J wrote:

>Anyone using a stock deban kernel image and using the nvidia-kernel deb
>package?
>
>It looks like the nvidia-kernel deb package only works if you compiled
>your kernel yourself.
>
>i pointed /usr/src/linux to /usr/src/kernel-headers-2.4.8-686-smp but
>the make-kpkg modules_image  complains. Which I can understand as there
>is only the headers for the kernel there. I installed the kernel-source
>for 2.4.8, but the .config file is not for the running 2.4.8 kernel
>image from debian and make-kpkg modules_image pulls in the .config file.
>I wish the kernel image included the .config.
>
>I would like to do this the debian way, and not for source for once. I
>have done the whole thing from source many times, but I want to try it
>with pure debian packages this time.
>
>
>
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