Anyone compiling kernels?

[Warren Togami]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Mings" <jeffm at lava.net>
To: "Linux & Unix Advocates & Users" <luau at list.luau.hi.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 12:24 AM
Subject: [luau] Anyone compiling kernels?


> Hi all,
>
>     I've been trying to get the leanest kernel I can, using Mandrake 8.1
> and RH 7.1 with two different machines.  Unfortunately, the modules
> compilation has been bombing!  I've been trying to figure this one out
> for several days now - I can probably recite the kernel how-to from
> memory  ;) .
> Warren said that Mandrake 8.1 compiles just fine for him, so it CAN be
> done.  Here's the routine I use:
>
>     I MUST be missing something obvious.  I should also state that I
> tried one of the newer Mandrake cooker kernels that Warren suggested and
> received the same kind of error.  The .config file looks fine and I have
> all of the necessary kernel RPMs loaded.
>     Has anyone else run into this?  I am really stumped on this one.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> -Jeff Mings
>

Did you go through a "menuconfig" or "xconfig" process?  You must SAVE a
.config file even if you don't change any options.

Then "make clean;make dep;make bzImage;make modules;make modules_install" ?

Also, you appear to be compiling an ancient version of the kernel source.
Whenever I attempt to make a new kernel, I never use the source code that
comes with any distribution.  It will always be old, outdated and contain
bugs.

First go here http://kt.zork.net/kernel-traffic/latest.html and read the
last 3 or so issues of Kernel Traffic to learn which kernel tree is stable.
Currently Linus Torvalds got all crazy and completely replaced the VM layer
with a brand new one written from scratch... in a so called "stable" kernel
series.  He has also been ignoring VM update patches since around 2.4.5.  As
a result, "stable" kernels between since 2.4.7 until now are NOT stable.
Grab Alan Cox's -ac kernel series if you want a stable kernel for now.  It
has stuff like ext3 already integrated.  (Otherwise you can grab an ext3
patch for -linus here http://www.uow.edu.au/~andrewm/linux/ext3/).  Also,
Red Hat's Rawhide kernel tree is based on Alan Cox's -ac tree.  It goes
through lots of testing, so it is generally stable too.  You can grab their
latest kernel tree in a pre-built kernel packages or kernel-source RPM from
Rawhide.

Have you updated all your packages?  Both distributions may have
minor/obscure compiler bugs.  Use up2date or upgrade manually.  Go for the
Rawhide version of gcc 2.96.  It is generally safe.

IMHO, stuff in Cooker tends to be broken a lot more often than Red Hat
Rawhide.  I wouldn't suggest using Cooker packages too often, unless you are
willing to test and roll-back if things break.