[vox-tech] Kernel compiles with a dash of debian magic

[Peter Jay Salzman]

On Wed 26 Jan 05,  2:31 PM, Richard Burkhart <richard at khanfusion.net> said:
> Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
> 
> >Hi Richard,
> >
> >On Wed 26 Jan 05,  1:54 PM, Richard Burkhart <richard at khanfusion.net> said:
> > 
> >
> >>I'm trying to learn the arcane art of kernel compiles
> >>   
> >>
> >You need to get this out of your head -- there's nothing arcane about
> >compiling a kernel.  It should be a very common and natural thing for you 
> >to
> >do.
>
>
> So is walking, after you've been doing it for a while.  Toddlers often 
> bounce off of the floor a number of times before they get the method down.

Walking isn't arcane, even to a toddler.  Difficult, perhaps.  Not arcane.

Arcane means that something requires secret knowledge.  There's nothing
secret about the Linux kernel.  It's documented up and down the Internet.
:)

> >I've found the most common reasons for panics during the boot phase of a
> >home compiled kernel:
> >  * something important was built as a module and it shouldn't have
> >     (no more initrd).
> >  * forgot to build your root filesystem's filesystem into the kernel.
> >  * forgot to include the proper IDE / mobo chipset support.
>
> I couldn't say when it is happening, b'cause I'm writing this at work -- 
> I've got the laptop with me, but spending too much time playing with it 
> tends to gain the attention of employers.
 
This is a crucial question because it'll tell you precisely what the problem
is.  A "kernel panic" is meaningless.  A "kernel that panics because it can't
mount a root filesystem" is definitely useful.

> I THINK that I mis-read a warning last night when I dpkg-installed the 
> kernel.  I'd already done a 2.4.29 kernel once, and was trying to do it 
> again ... it gave me a warning about overwriting modules, that I thought 
> wouldn't be an issue because I was using the same code tree ... it 
> should have simply overwritten them with the same modules.  *shrug*.
 
I dunno.  But I have to agree with Josh.  I like the non-Debian way of
installing kernels better.  I'm sure others will disagree with me, so YMMV.
:-)

> >But to answer your question, your kernel is likely to be in /boot with a
> >symlink to /.
> >
> >Your modules are located in /lib/modules/x.y.z.
>
> And assuming I can't figure out things the dpkg way ... deleting the 
> kernel image in /boot (and any symlink in root), the 2.4.29 module 
> directory(ies), and a GRUB configuration edit will properly clean me out? 

Absolutely.  You'll be right as rain.

> Or maybe clean my clock?
 
Never.  As long as you have one working working kernel, there's nothing to
worry about.

When you get around to fine-tuning your system, I personally build anything
that's ABSOLUTELY required for my system into the kernel rather than load it
as a module.  For example, ext2/ext3 gets bolted into my kernels since
there's never a time when I don't want it in my kernel.

Pete

-- 
The mathematics of physics has become ever more abstract, rather than more
complicated.  The mind of God appears to be abstract but not complicated.
He also appears to like group theory.  --  Tony Zee's "Fearful Symmetry"

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