[H-GEN] NAS boxes and linux kernels

[Troy Piggins]

I have a ReadyNAS box that runs a customised Debian Etch OS.  I've been told on
the ReadyNAS forums /not/ to do an "apt-get upgrade" on it because it'll break
some of the customised packages the RNAS interface requires.

I'd like to get this box running as a mail server, and because open to the
internet, I'd like to run a more up to date distro where I know I"m going to
get security updates etc. So after much playing around with a few virtual
machine systems, I've got user-mode-linux working quite well, although Ubuntu
distros don't seem to work too well under UML, but Debian seems all right.

My problem now is that the RNAS kernel does not seem to have iptables compiled
with the NAT and masquerading features enabled, so I can't get networking going
on the UML virtual machine.

I can download what I think is the RNAS kernel source code.  I was thinking
that if I could establish what their default kernel options are, then only
enable the ones that would enable iptables/nat etc options, that would help me
on my way?  Thoughts?  Would doing something (apparently) minor be ok, or turn
my NAS into a brick?

I've never rolled my own kernel before, bit intimidated, any
tips/ideas/suggestions appreciated.