Compiling Kernel
 

Hi, I recently install RedHat 8.0, step by step I follow the instructions and (about 1 month later) can install the winmodem, then I do the next step... Install my palm pilot zire... then any web page that I visit tell me: "You need to recompile the kernel with a recently patch", or "Change the visor.h and visor.c and recompile the kernel" ...
I use the following instructions from the "how to" manual:
- make xconfig and change the section USB settings
- make dep to update the dependency files
- make bzImage...

Finally copy this file and change lilo.conf...
the compilation takes me about 2 hours... and then when the computer restarts show me a text "Linux descompress...." and restart again!!!!...
Fortunately a save a copy of lilo.conf and reinstall the lilo boot sector...

How can I recompile the kernel? What I'm doing wrong?

If I change the default settings like "CPU Type" the linux could be more faster?

Not sure of your problem really, but yes, you have to choose the kind of pc your have. If you have a pentium 4 and you compiled for a 386 then it will be slower of course, and have issues. Also, what about the modules??? Did you choose to have everything built in??? I doubt you did so you also have to do
make modules
make modules_install
maybe it is looking for a certain module and cant find it becuase it is not there??

I would recommend reading a tutorial on compiling the kernel, if you have find a better one ;)

sometimes that stuff just happens.
you should put more than one kernel entry in
lilo, and keep one that you know works.
you can name your new kernels whatever you wish.
that way you don't get hosed when you make a kernel
that doesn't work, or doesn't like your machine.

yes, I use make modules, and make modules_install...

I have the following problems:
1. After recompile the kernel the system boot fails, ... I choose the new entry in the lilo's menu and show me: "Linux decompress.... " and reset the computer starting again...
2. My computer is too slow under Linux, I think this is because the redhat don't optimize the "in-built" kernel to be used with AMD K6-2... I change the settings in the CPU Section and recompile and... "problem No. 1." the system don't boot!!!

I do everything.... download 4 tutorials and, do step by step the "make xconfig", make dep, make modules, m... etc. and no change the system always reboot when I select the system in the lilo menu....

well, you were talking about patching your kernel.
a lot of times i patch a kernel for something, and
end up with a kernel that doesn't work. it could
just as easily be something in your config that is
keeping the machine from booting. you might need
to start with fresh source code, and a different or
no patch.
you may have an old motherboard chipset that
doesn't work right with the kernel you are using.

Yesterday I tried again.... compile the kernel and copy the bzImage in the boot directory (/boot), change grub.conf copy the same instructions that has for the old system and replace "vmlinuz-2.4.18-14" with "bzImage", then I use "grub" command to update the boot sector, this is all that I need to do? I'm doing something wrong?

I tried to use "make install" too, in this time the make install create one new file in /boot "vmlinuz-2.4.20"... wow!!! the size is different!!! I'm copying the wrong file?

I recompile the linux-2.4.18-14 sources (this is the kernel that use the RedHat) and use "make oldconfig" to avoid the mistake in the config file, but the result is the same!!! what happen!!!! I'm stuck!!!,

everybody says that compile the kernel is easy... but....

the compiling is easy, the configuring is not.
perhaps you could find a kernel and module set
on the web and download what you want already
compiled. generally you could download the kernel
from most linux distributions and install it into yours.

i generally find that if i configure a kernel, and compile
it, and it will not boot, then i have to make drastic changes to it, to make it boot. like changes dozens
of options in the kernel config, or just getting completely
different source code. i think what you are doing is
generally correct, it's just that you are running into
code that isn't working.
i often end up compiling a dozen times when i run into
that snag, and keep having to try different options or
different souce code before it works.

Where I can find the compiled version of linux kernels?

I download source files from www.kernel.org is possible that this source files don't work even if those files was the lastest stable version?

The source files that coming with the RedHat's CDs don't work either, it could be damaged too?

When you install the RedHat, Mandrake or other distro it don't recompile to optimize the system?, then could be a default configuration that could be copied and modified by me to correct the problem?

i didn't mean the source was damaged, i meant that
your config isn't working for you with the source that you
have, on your machine.
i was just suggesting maybe trying the the kernel from
some suse or mandrake or redhat version instead.
you could get those from those websites. I don't really
think you should do that, i'm just suggesting options.
i've had more trouble with xconfig making bad configurations than anything else. i have no idea why. menuconfig works best for me.
you probably won't see much of a speed gain from recompiling for your cpu. not a difference you can really feel.
i think you're in for a lot of seriously hard work trying
to get that working. just a feeling.
I don't know if it will be worth the work you'll have to put in
to get that thing working. hint, hint.
maybe you can find a version of linux that has support for what you want, already built in, since you are having so much trouble getting a kernel to work. You'll probably just end up upset and hating linux. Maybe suse has
support for what you want, or knoppix.

thanks whansard, may be you're right, I could wait for another version with the problem correction (my palm ZIRE don't work because visor.h and visor.c don't have the correct ID for that hardware, the kerner patch 2.4.20 has this problem solved...) I'll wait few months and check for a new version with that patch...

I'm tried because I think that could improve the performance....

Thank you very much...