[CentOS] suggestions on other packages

Hi all - Since upstream patches the stock 2.6.18 kernel into something that is not 2.6.18 (for the rest of the world) I am having issues trying to compile some packages like v4l (latest is needed for a different project).

When compiling packages like v4l that a doing conditionals based on kernel number - but - header files are messing other things up... is there some great trick to getting things to compile or behave nicely?

What do others do in this circumstance?

Note: If I did compile a kernel (2.6.17.10 for example) v4l works fine. however then I am not getting kernel updates with releases etc...

Thanks,

Jerry