help with compilation of kernel?

[Tyler Littlefield]

Hay,
I am sort of lost, I have read the docs, but I don't really understand how to do this,
Can someone explain how to compile the kernel?
also, is there a way I can change the output dir?
last thing, can I make it boot from a floppy or something, so if I scrue this kernel up, I can just take the floppy out, and I have my old kernel back? like, I will have two kernels on the hd, and when the floppy is in, it will boot debian into the other kernel?
thx,