redhat 7 and linux-2.6

Hello,

I wanted to know the ways in which I can compile linux kernel 2.6 on
redhat 7.0. I tried to compile the kernel and load essential packages
but I am getting lots of errors while compiling the kernel and loading
the packages.

1) First to be listed would be the following, when i do make clean or
make mrproper in the linux 2.6.12 source code.

/bin/sh: invalid character 46 in exportstr for CPPFLAGS_vmlinux.lds

I found this error to be for older version of bash, but now I have
installed bash 3.0 though the error is still there.

2) When I do make menuconfig, things work fine.

3) next step is make and which gives following error:

/tmp/ccWmbREf.s: Assembler messages:
/tmp/ccWmbREf.s: 4: Error: Unknown pseudo-op: '.incbin'
make[1]: *** [usr/initramfs_data.o] Error 1
make : *** [usr] Error 2.

I have upgraded few packages which include gcc 3.4 and bash.
I am trying to upgrade binutils2.15, e2fsprogs-1.35 and
module-init-tools but all of them give some error.

1) while compiling e2fsprogs-1.35, the errors are:
make [2]: *** [unix.o] Error 1
make [2]: Leaving directory /home/e2fsprogs-1.35/e2fsck
make [1]: *** [all-progs-recursive] Error 1
make [1]: Leaving directory /home/e2fsprogs-1.35
make: *** [all] Error 2

As much of the development is done on Redhat7, I need to update the
packages on it to make 2.6 kernel work.

Am I doing something wrong somewhere?

Thanks and Regards,

Nupur