I just installed kernel-source-2.4.12-3mdk and headers last night on one computer. No problem works great. Have original 8.1 kernel and this on it now.
On the second computer ( I do have more cooker updates on this computer) I just tried to start the same kernel install. It complains of needing ncurses-devel. I said, "hmmm". Looked and it isn't on the other computer at all. So ncurses-devel also being called something else and that satisfied the dependancy? Ncurses-5.2-16 was installed. Looks like that is all it really needs. Since there is no ncurses-devel-5.2-16mdk on the 8.1 iso. Just installed ncurses-5.2-16mdk from the iso and the kernel-source just installed.