Just to close this ...

seems i was worrying about nothing .. a few more reads clarified the whole thing

Code:
               -- Summery --
               --------------------

#    2.4 kernel --> needs i2c modules
      and patch

#    2.6 kernel --> uses existing i2c
      kernels modules, and no patch
      needed
jm

Code:
 -:-  If the system is the answer, then the question
               must have been really stupid  -:-