Compiling kernel 2.4.25 on ubuntu 8.04

freddo · 06-05-2008, 01:57 PM

Hi to all, I need to recompile the kernel 2.4.25 for study's reasons. I have to make the image for linux ram fs (file *.img) but if i try to make the command mkinitrd it's not present of my linux distribution. I tried to use the command update-initramfs or mkinitramfs with the syntax

Code:

update-initramfs -c -k 2.4.25

and i get this error:

Code:

update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.4.25
W: kernel 2.4.25 too old for initramfs on i386
W: not generating requested initramfs for kernel 2.4.25

How i can create the linux's img file to lunch at boot fase?

Thank you to all.

MS3FGX · 06-05-2008, 05:38 PM

I am not extremely familiar with Ubuntu, but I am fairly sure you won't be able to compile a working 2.4.25 system on 8.04. Modern distributions are using various system processes and applications that require 2.6.x kernels (UDEV/HAL comes to mind) which is going to prevent the system from working properly on the older kernels.

Your best bet would be to do this under a distribution that still had native support for 2.4. Slackware 11 should be the most recent, as that supported 2.4 up to ~2007 (when Slackware 12 was released and the system switched to 2.6 only).

freddo · 06-07-2008, 03:54 AM

Thank your answer. I know that is better do this on a distribution that has native support for kernel 2.4.25 but I don't want install another distribution on my pc only for this scope. I need you this type of kernel only for developing 3 kernel modules for my university exam. I prefer use my current distribution to make this. How I can compile the ramfs image for this type of kernel?

Thank you a lot

salemboot · 08-27-2008, 07:26 PM

VirtualBox is a virtualization software freely available. Install A,AP,D disksets.

You can pull them from a Slackware 11 mirror site.

Even in the professional world we still use VM's to compile code for legacy systems. (vm == virtual machines)

L8R