Kernel configuration question

[Warren Togami]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jesse Manibusan" <jessmani at yahoo.com>
To: "Linux & Unix Advocates & Users" <luau at list.luau.hi.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 3:40 PM
Subject: [luau] Kernel configuration question


> I am trying to recompile my kernel without having to use
> "make config".
>
> This is the ouput when I type make menuconfig:
>
> rm -f include/asm
> ( cd include ; ln -sf asm-i386 asm)
> make -C scripts/lxdialog all
> make[1]: Entering directory
> `/usr/src/linux/scripts/lxdialog'
> /bin/sh: gcc: command not found
>
> >> Unable to find the Ncurses libraries.
> >>
> >> You must have Ncurses installed in order
> >> to use 'make menuconfig'

You could possibly be missing packages of gcc or ncurses.  Be sure that you
have the following packages installed.

gcc
gcc-c++
libstdc++-devel
libstdc++
ncurses
ncurses-devel

In earlier versions of Red Hat and Mandrake, I think you may also need the
"dialog" package for "make menuconfig" to work, but it doesn't appear to be
needed for Red Hat 7.1 and Roswell.

> How do I fix it so that both xconfig and menuconfig work?
> Also, how does one recompile the kernel if you have the RPM
> instead of the actual *.tar.gz file?  Is it easier than
> doing the "make " stuff?
>

Compiling a kernel from kernel sources is far superior to RPM's, because you
can configure the kernel to exactly how you want it.  Compiling a kernel
source RPM would result in a generic kernel.  Adding kernel patches and
changing configurations with kernel source RPM builds is possible, but not
as straight forward as compiling them manually from tarballs.  Also, the
kernel RPM's from Rawhide or Cooker are probably the same as building
default generic kernels from source RPM's... so there's little point in
doing so yourself.