[SOLVED] How does one apply a kernel patch?

Equinn · 04-13-2011, 10:37 AM

When you say "you should boot with the original Slackware kernel", how do I do that? Keep in mind I'm a total newbie. Like you haven't figured that out by now

.

And what do you mean "to configure the kernel for the filesystems you have on your computer"? I'm using ext3.

Also, in the boot directory, there is no "vmlinuz". There is vmlinuz-2.6.33.4 or vmlinuz-2.6.38.2, and yet in the lilo.conf, it says 'image = /boot/vmlinuz'. What exactly am I supposed to edit in lilo.conf?

Thanks and sorry to be this dense.

Equinn

markush · 04-13-2011, 12:51 PM

Code:

/boot/vmlinuz

is a simlink to to the default kernel. Since you have two kernels you will have to configure both kernels in lilo.conf. Here my boot directory

Code:

markus@Samsung ~ $ ls -l /usr/local/slackware64/boot/
insgesamt 23908
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      37  5. Apr 20:51 README.initrd -> /usr/doc/mkinitrd-1.4.6/README.initrd
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      24  9. Apr 00:25 System.map -> System.map-huge-2.6.37.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1842698  2. Apr 21:41 System.map-2.6.37.5
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1887816  2. Apr 20:30 System.map-2.6.38.2
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1782066  7. Apr 13:01 System.map-generic-2.6.37.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 2706739  7. Apr 16:34 System.map-huge-2.6.37.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root     512 16. Jan 18:52 boot.0806
-rw-r--r--  1 root root     209 16. Jan 18:52 boot_message.txt
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      20  9. Apr 00:25 config -> config-huge-2.6.37.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   74679  2. Apr 21:42 config-2.6.37.5
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   76528  2. Apr 20:31 config-2.6.38.2
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  112324  7. Apr 13:01 config-generic-2.6.37.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  112298  7. Apr 16:34 config-huge-2.6.37.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root    5040 27. Mär 08:53 diag1.img
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   17932 27. Mär 08:53 diag2.img
drwxr-xr-x 11 root root    4096 19. Dez 2009  initrd-tree
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  503451  2. Apr 21:27 initrd.gz
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 3221008  2. Apr 21:41 linux-2.6.37.5
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 3223760  2. Apr 20:30 linux-2.6.38.2
-rw-------  1 root root   34304  9. Apr 00:29 map
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   15634 27. Mär 07:32 slack.bmp
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      21  9. Apr 00:25 vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-huge-2.6.37.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 2956736  7. Apr 13:01 vmlinuz-generic-2.6.37.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 5862480  7. Apr 16:34 vmlinuz-huge-2.6.37.6

as you see I'm running my selfbuilt 2.6.38.2 kernel. Here the section in my lilo.conf

Code:

# neuer Kernel
image = /boot/linux-2.6.38.2
  root = /dev/sda6
  label = Linux-2.6.38.2
  read-only
# alter Kernel
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/sda6
  label = linux-2.6.37.6
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

I'd recommend that you try to understand this and if you have questions post again. My setup is very similar to your's.

When you configure your kernel, go to the "Filesystems" section and check if ext3 is configured (set to yes), but not as a module and check with

Code:

lspci -k | grep -iA5 sata

which SATA-"driver" you'll need and check that it is set to yes but as well not as a module

Markus

Equinn · 04-14-2011, 01:03 PM

Hi Markus,

I think I'm starting to understand. In fact, I successfully updated the kernel yesterday (Yay for me!). However, I feel like I fumbled through it and didn't really know what I was doing. This is how we learn, I guess. I've been looking all over and found several other tutorials on this (all slightly different, of course). Anyway, I managed to piece enough of it together to get it to work. Even though I had some errors on the 'make install', it seems to have worked. If I type 'uname -r', I get the new version back (I think that means I was successful).

Anyway, thank you so much for all your help.

For those folks out there like me, here are the things I read that helped me besides this forum:

http://muaythaimaster74.blogspot.com...re-kernel.html
http://linux.about.com/od/linux101/l/blnewbie_atoc.htm
http://www.gidforums.com/t-1990.html

markush · 04-14-2011, 01:07 PM

Hello Equinn,

I'm happy to read that you got it working. Note that I never use the command "make install" when building a kernel. As far as I know, make install does the same as I wrote in post #7.
And don't confuse make install and make modules_install (which is necessary to install the modules).

Markus

Equinn · 04-14-2011, 01:25 PM

Markus,

Yeah, I think I figured that out later. I think all it does is edit lilo.conf and run lilo for you. If you do that on your own, as you suggested, then 'make install' wouldn't be necessary. Plus, I think your way is better, because you can then choose which kernel to boot with. That would have been handy on one of my earlier tries when it turned out I messed up and couldn't boot the system. I ended up having to start over by reinstalling Slackware from my CD. I suppose now I also know I could have just booted up with the CD and then edited the lilo.conf to boot to the older version. Hey, one thing I'll say: This has been an educational experience!

Thanks again,
Equinn

markush · 04-14-2011, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Equinn

... because you can then choose which kernel to boot with. That would have been handy on one of my earlier tries when it turned out I messed up and couldn't boot the system...

yes, that's it. Otherwise make install does only set the symlink vmlinuz to the new kernel and runs lilo. If you have the old kernel integrated in your lilo.conf not with a symlink, the old kernel will not be affected and is available at systemstart.

Quote:

... I ended up having to start over by reinstalling Slackware from my CD. I suppose now I also know I could have just booted up with the CD and then edited the lilo.conf to boot to the older version...

in this case you have to chroot into the Slackware-installation since you can edit lilo.conf from the install-CD but you cannot run lilo from the install-CD. In this case the bootloader grub is more convenient.

Markus