custom kernel file question

[Jonathan Horne]

here is a silly one, which may deserve a chuckle from my peers :)

what am i doing that zaps my custom kernel config file?  i compiled a new
one the day i built this box, but now i return to /usr/src/sys/i386/conf/,
and my file isnt there anymore!

what did i do that removed it, so i can avoid (or safeguard against) this
action in the future?

thanks,
jonathan