Compiling a device driver only and not the whole kernel... Is this possible?

balteo · 11-19-2009, 03:50 PM

Hello,

I run ubuntu. i have recently installed the sources for 2.6.28 and being very new to device driver development I have the following question:

-can I compile the usb-storage (/home/julien/src/linux-source-2.6.28/drivers/usb/storage) module without compiling the whole kernel?
-If so, how?

Any clue welcome!

Julien.

MS3FGX · 11-19-2009, 08:16 PM

Simply select it as a module in the configuration and run "make modules" followed by "make modules_install".

sarum1990 · 11-19-2009, 08:17 PM

I believe this is possible, and I found a website that appears to agree:

http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/compil...el-module.html

jhwilliams · 11-19-2009, 08:19 PM

Julien,

The procedure to build only a specific portion of the kernel is as follows:

From the root directory ( /usr/src/linux or what have you ) issue make, with the desired subdirectory as a target. For example:

Code:

sudo make drivers/usb/storage

would accomplish what you describe.

Note, though, that what you are requesting is somewhat unusual. Ordinarily, one would build the entire source tree. They might then edit some kernel code. At that point, you can just rebuild the kernel and GNU make will only recompile those areas of the tree that you affected -- in effect, doing so quite quickly.

Cheers,
Jameson

balteo · 11-20-2009, 02:25 AM

jhwilliams,
It works much better than this:

Code:

make prepare
make scripts
make M=./drivers/usb/storage

!
Julien.