plzhelp Internal Error: Segmentation fault when compiling kernel

[root]

hello and thanks for reading this.
i am a long time windowsnt user and i am trying to 'get into' linux.
as someone who has written device drivers, the idea that i could
recompile the linux kernel is amazing.
so i tried for days. though a newbie, i have installed and reinstalled
redhat7. i also get the same error under a redhat 5.1 i had around.
perhaps it is my cpu or motherboard.
i did get a segmentation fault error from gnome once.
i am make mrpoper and make config and make dep. but when i make bzImage
or bzlilo i will get the seg fault.
if i type 'make', then i will compile past that file and then i get
another seg fault. i make a little progress with each call to 'make'
i have also tried different kernel sources. one from redhat cdrom and
another from the internet.

any ideas?
thanks,

[Kent Friis]

Defective hardware. An overclocked CPU, or a fan that doesn't work
can cause this, as can bad RAM.

Another cause could be lack of memory. How much RAM and swap do you
have?

take a look at http://www.sienet.hu/linux/sig11-FAQ.html

Kent
--
The frozen north will hatch a flightless bird,
who will spread his wings and dominate the earth
And cause an empire by the sea to fall
To the astonishment, and delight of all.

[Nikolai Hristov]

First, never access the Internet as root, or you will be sorry.

Second, the site you need to go to and read, read, read is www.kernel.org

Whether it is hardware or not nobody can tell you. How unstable is Windows?
Does it restart very often (like every two minutes, or so) without any
apparent reason?

Gcc has very few bugs (never noticed any myself). If it sigfaults, its
probably your memory.

Nick
---------------------
Nikolai Hristov
Slayter Box 1194
Denison University
Granville OH 43023