Kernel Programming

Can I edit a kernel without it being installed? Like I download the Linux Source code and I want to add modules or remove modules or configure some other settings, install a linux distro and then load my custom kernel.

sure can. google for the kernel source download it then in the terminal navigate to the folder after extracting the kernel source and type in the command "make menuconfig" and then edit as much as you please. as for compiling it um ive done it before but ive noticed there are different methods and im not too knowledgable on that. the way ive done it is compile it as a bz image and then on a fresh installed linux put the image in the boot directory and set up grub to use it. as for the command for compiling it as a bz image i forgot sorry about that perhaps someone else can help you with that.

Ah, you assume I am running Linux:-d What If I am under a different OS.

well you could of stated that. i have no idea about doing that on another OS. especially since you havent stated which OS your on. my suggestion is go ahead and install a linux distro with the default kernel and then on that machine download a kernel source and modify it and all that good stuff. OR you could just install gentoo if your up to it which requires you to configure and compile your own kernel.