Post-kernel-build woes...

[Fraser Campbell]

On Saturday 08 May 2004 23:53, William O'Higgins wrote:

> >what i would suggest you do is:
> >
> >make menuconfig
> >make-kpkg
> >cd ..
> >dpkg -i (the kernel .deb)
> >
> >see what that does for you
>
> Last time I tried this what I got was a computer that wouldn't boot, and
> was in fact so badly borked that rerunning Lilo from a rescue disk
> didn't repair the problem.  I am unwilling to re-attempt building a
> kernel the "Debian way" without some significant hand-holding.  Thanks
> for the suggestion though.

Not sure where you would have gone wrong but using Debian kernel packages 
works great for me.  When I have to customise a kernel (for win4lin for 
example) I do this:

    apt-get install kernel-source-2.6.5 kernel-image-2.6.5-1-k7

    cd /usr/src
    tar xvjf kernel-source-2.6.5.tar.bz2
    cd kernel-source-2.6.5
    # Installing the Debian kernel and copying it's config is unnecessary but
    # I like to use it as a safe starting point
    cp /boot/config-2.6.5-1-k7 .config
    # Apply my patches
    patch ????? < ?????
    make-kpkg --revision 1.0 --rootcmd fakeroot \
       --append-to-version -win4lin-1-k7 --initrd kernel_image
    dpkg -i ../kernel-image-2.6.5-win4lin-1-k7_1.0_i386.deb

Debian kernel packages automatically adjust your bootloader (unless you tell 
them not to).  If you switch from a non-initrd kernel to one that does use an 
initrd then you'll bork your config unless you heed the warnings that it 
gives you.  When you install a new kernel you should always have an older one 
around just in case, perhaps that's how you went wrong?

I use grub as my bootloader so my /etc/kernel-img.conf looks like this:

    do_initrd = Yes
    postinst_hook = /sbin/update-grub
    postrm_hook = /sbin/update-grub
    do_bootloader = no

Lots of people have different kernel configuration practises; 
modular/non-modular, optimised/not-optimised (i386/i686/???), support for all 
hardware under the sun/support only for installed hardware.

I like the kitchen sink kernels and I like to use packaged kernels since few 
of my machines have compilers installed on them, of course if you don't like 
packages you can always tar up the kernel and modules and copy them around 
that way.

-- 
Fraser Campbell <fraser-Txk5XLRqZ6CsTnJN9+BGXg at public.gmane.org>                 http://www.wehave.net/
Georgetown, Ontario, Canada                               Debian GNU/Linux
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