naive debian kernel upgrade question

I've just got a new HP desktop (Compaq dc7800 small form factor PC) and
have sucessfully installed a stable debian linux kernel on it. Looking
at the output of lspci it seems pretty clear to me that the install
has failed to recognise (a) the ethernet card and (b) the sound card
[I think that both are in fact on the motherboard]. I solved the ethernet
card problem by just dropping an old one into the box. I don't have an old
sound card lying around though.

I think that to get the sound card up and running, I will have to upgrade
my kernel. The default kernel with debian stable appears to be 2.6.18.
I think I need 2.6.22 or above to get sound on. OK so here's the really
stupid question. My "gut feeling" is that if I could get it to work, it would
be much easier (for me) to let debian do the work of compiling the kernel---it
seems to have done a fairly good job of getting 2.6.18 running---the fact that
2.6.18 didn't recognise my hardware is the fault of the kernel, not of debian.
So really I think I'd like to use debian's aptitude/apt-get/dpkg to install a
new kernel. But I don't really want to be running an unstable release in all
its glory. Is it possible to get aptitude to install a more 2.6.22ish
kernel on a fresh debian install **using aptitude** without it going crazy
and demanding that I also upgrade a gazillion other things?

Kevin
.

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