title: error while running make install - include/generated/autoconf.h or include/config/auto.conf are missing
body: <p>when i try to run make install on my custom built kernel, I get following error-</p>
  
  <pre><code>root@localhost [ /home/avi/dd/labs/lab1_compile_and_load ]$ make install V=1
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>make -C /lib/modules/3.12.17/build SUBDIRS=/home/avi/dd/labs/lab1_compile_and_load  modules_install</p>
  
  <pre><code>make[1]: Entering directory `/home/avi/kernel/linux-3.12.17'
  test -e include/generated/autoconf.h -a -e include/config/auto.conf || (        \
  echo &gt;&amp;2;                           \
  echo &gt;&amp;2 "  ERROR: Kernel configuration is invalid.";       \
  echo &gt;&amp;2 "         include/generated/autoconf.h or include/config/auto.conf are missing.";\
  echo &gt;&amp;2 "         Run 'make oldconfig &amp;&amp; make prepare' on kernel src to fix it.";  \
  echo &gt;&amp;2 ;                          \
  /bin/false)
  mkdir -p /lib/modules/3.12.17/extra
  make -f /home/avi/kernel/linux-3.12.17/scripts/Makefile.modinst
    /bin/sh /home/avi/kernel/linux-3.12.17/scripts/depmod.sh /sbin/depmod 3.12.17 ""
  make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/avi/kernel/linux-3.12.17'
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Content of my Makefile is as below:</p>
  
  <pre><code>obj-m := lab1_char_driver.o
  KDIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build
  PWD := $(shell pwd)
  
  all:
          $(MAKE) -C $(KDIR) SUBDIRS=$(PWD)  modules
  install:
          $(MAKE) -C $(KDIR) SUBDIRS=$(PWD)  modules_install
  
  clean:
          $(MAKE) -C $(KDIR) SUBDIRS=$(PWD)  clean
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I tried 'make oldconfig &amp;&amp; make preapare' as suggested in the error message but to no avail.
  I have tried this on fedora20 and ubuntu12.04 both. If a do Make then it works just fine but make install fails. Please help. Any relevant answer would be greatly appreciated.</p>