Description of problem:

When trying to recompile selectively some modules then something
like that, as far as I can tell, is supposed to work:

make M=drivers/acpi modules

This chokes with the following message:

/usr/src/wrk/linux-2.6.5-1.326/Module.symvers: No such file or directory
make[1]: *** [__modpost] Error 134
make: *** [modules] Error 2

Adding to the command above 'V=1' reveals that an attempt
to do

scripts/modpost -i /usr/src/wrk/linux-2.6.5-1.326/Module.symvers ...

causes this failure.  When Module.symvers is manually created with
something like:
scripts/modpost -o \
/usr/src/wrk/linux-2.6.5-1.326/Module.symvers vmlinux \
drivers/acpi/ac.o drivers/acpi/asus_acpi.o \
drivers/acpi/battery.o drivers/acpi/button.o \
drivers/acpi/toshiba_acpi.o

then 'make M=drivers/acpi modules' does work although an apparent
requirement for a vmlinux presence is a PITA (especially if one
attempts to compile some external module).  Still one would hope
that 'Module.symvers' will be created automatically when
'M=....' is used.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
kernel-source-2.6.5-1.326

How reproducible:
Always