> i do really want to keep all the system config instead of start all over again.
As has been mentioned, you'll probably run into difficulties with changes in the configuration options/formats.
However, as a starting place,
Code:
$ cd /
$ su -
Password:
$ tar czf ~/rh-6.2-etc etc
Read the documentation for the programs that will exist on the "target" distribution, paying special attention to configuration options. See if your old setup is still appropriate, and make changes as needed.
To help you with this task, grab the source packages for the programs in question and look for a file named [tt]ChangeLog[/tt]; if that's there, you can see changes made from your old version to the version your new distro uses.
Finally, your home directory is another good thing to back up and move over to the new distro; not only will you be able to keep your personal files, but you'll keep your user-specific configurations, too.