first kernel compile

[Christopher Brannon]

*delurk*
Hi, all.  I'm downloading the sources for kernel 2.4.0 test8.  I'm going to
do my first kernel compile.  Since most everything needs the header files
from the kernel source to compile, will I have to re-compile all my software?
Sorry for the dumb question; I'm just worried that I'll go to the trouble of
compiling a new kernel, only to have nothing work because it was compiled
under the old one.