Error building external modules (linux 1.4)

I&#39;m having a problem building external modules from the command line in the linux 1.4 release. It appears that modpost.exe core dumps when trying to build the <mod>.cmd.c file (I believe). The sequence I execute from the linux source tree is:

make O=../kernel hwselect SYSPTF=../nios32.ptf

make O=../kernel menuconfig

make O=../kernel

make O=../kernel M=../drivers modules

The actual output:

[SOPC Builder]$ make O=../kernel M=../drivers modules

no emulation specific options.

Building modules, stage 2.

MODPOST

Signal 11

make[2]: *** [__modpost] Error 139

make[1]: *** [modules] Error 2

make: *** [modules] Error 2

~/srd/linux-2.6.x

[SOPC Builder]$

If I remove the ../kernel/Module.symvers then the error goes away and the modules build. Reading the Documentation/kbuild/modules.txt it mentions using the target modules_prepare so the Modules.symvers doesn&#39;t get built during the kernel build. I was not able to get this to work.

Am I doing something wrong in the build sequence?

Any help much appreciated!

Thanks,

Steve