通常在安装完Linux系统后，在编译kernel使用make menuconfig时，可能会出现如下错误： *** Unable to find the ncurses libraries or the
*** required header files.
*** 'make menuconfig' requires the ncurses libraries.
***
*** Install ncurses (ncurses-devel) and try again.
***
make[1]: *** [scripts/kconfig/dochecklxdialog] Error 1
make: *** [menuconfig] Error 2   出现该错误的原因是：在使用menuconfig时需要ncurses库的支持，而该库包含ncurses和ncurses-devel两个包，大部分情况ncurses包会跟随系统安装好，而ncurses-devel包根据安装系统时你的选择。可以使用命令查看他们有没有安装：
#rpm -q ncurses
#rpm -q ncurses-devel

如果安装好了会显示类似如下：
ncurses-5.6-16.20080301.fc9.i386
ncurses-devel-5.6-16.20080301.fc9.i386
如果没安装则可使用yum命令直接在线安装(注意要求联网): [root@localhost linux-2.6.34]# yum install ncurses

Loaded plugins: presto, refresh-packagekit
Setting up Install Process
Package ncurses-5.6-16.20080301.fc9.i386 already installed and latest version
Nothing to do
[root@localhost linux-2.6.34]# yum install ncurses-devel

Loaded plugins: presto, refresh-packagekit
Setting up Install Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package ncurses-devel-5.6-16.20080301.fc9.i386 set to be updated
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

================================================================================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
================================================================================
Installing:
ncurses-devel-5.6-16.20080301.fc9.i386 fedora 608 k

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install 1 Package(s)
Upgrade 0 Package(s)

Total download size: 608 k
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
Setting up and reading Presto delta metadata
Processing delta metadata
Package(s) data still to download: 608 k
ncurses-devel-5.6-16.20080301.fc9.i386.rpm | 608 kB 00:04
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Finished Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
Warning: RPMDB has been altered since the last yum transaction.
Installing : ncurses-devel-5.6-16.20080301.fc9.i386 1/1

Installed:
ncurses-devel-5.6-16.20080301.fc9.i386

 Complete! 安装完成后在试make menuconfig，错误排除了。

[root@localhost linux-2.6.34]# make menuconfig

OK！   注意：这是在联网的情况下。若不能联网，则安装ncurses-devel的rpm相应包