Please don't top post in mailing list replies. It's not considered "proper" behavior. > it also appears that the kernel-debuginfo app is essentially the same as i > just described. (which would explain the large size of the rpm file. it's > the OS with the debugging/symbolic information) kernel-debuginfo is not an application that stands by itself. It is supplemental to the kernel rpm of the corresponding version, and as Stephen explained earlier, is the default way of doing things from RHEL/Centos 3 onward. > it also appears that you do not need to 'run' the kernel-debuginfo app, > rather you can point to it with the 'crash' app and other apps to get the > symbols resolved while you're debugging the kernel level errors/isssues... Correct, which is why I'm unclear on your need/desire to rebuild things. > so what you're doing is either rebuilding the kernel, using the '-g'/debug > flag, or you're using the 'kernel-debuginfo' app to handle the symbolic > resoultion for the debugging process. There is no kernel-debuginfo application. It's simply putting back the debugging information which. It's a supplement to the package, not a replacement, and not something that stands on its own. I'm also still unclear on what your issue is (since you stated you're having crashes but never clarified) or why you want to rebuild everything as a means to troubleshoot that crash. Why not simply use the packages available from centos (and thus from the centos perspective reliable, and reproducible) to figure out what's going on. Or elaborate on the issue here, as if it's a problem it's quite likely someone has encountered it before and will be able to offer advice. I don't see how rebuilding anything helps you just yet. -- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. George Orwell