compile kernal...
 

hello i am mandrake 10.0
may i know the answers.....
1)why do we need to compile the kernal....
2)why can 't just install the kernal is enough
3)how many kernal's i may use(i maen maximum number of kernals)
4)how to remove one of them?
5)during compillation what is happening...

thanks....

1.)to get a custom kernel ,which will be more according to ur needs

2.)did not get ur question

3.)any no. of kernel ,but u can have the entry of a limited no. of kernels to your grub/lilo

4.)just remove there files for ur /boot and corresponding entry from grub/lilo.conf

5.)the code of the kernel is being compiled according to your config.

regards

5.)

if i have two kernals...
than could i have two /boot directory
or two / directory

You normally don't need to compile a kernel, the one installed is usually enough.

As masand pointed out, if you don't like the options selected by MDK or you want to add some
patch or generally have more control of the kernel, you can compile one to your own taste.

You can only use one kernel at a time. Physically the different kernels lie in the same /boot and they mount the same / .

Look at it as if the kernel was a fork. You can have many different forks in your cupboard. If you're having a fine meal
you might use the expensive fork, if you're having beans and saussage you might use the cheap, scruffy looking one.
But whichever fork you use, you put it in the same mouth (hopefully) and you (normally) use only one at a time.

- Peder

yes

as a newbie you should not get into these hassles

this will be better after you are some sort of advanced user

regards

I really like your fork analogy.. it's amazing..

But yeah, if you have more than one kernel, both kernels will reside in your /boot dir, you won't/can't have 2 (well, you can, but it's really no a good idea...) you won't have two / or two different /home/user directories either...

The kernel is the core of the operating system, which differs from your GUI (graphical user interface).

Unlike windows/osx, *nix systems use a Monolithic kernel (this means that, basically, everything is run through the kernel or modules in the kernel). Windows systems use a Microkernel, which is much smaller, and everything has to be loaded on top of it.

Check out this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel_...ter_science%29

Basically, you need to recomiple the kernel in Linux because if something isn't in it (support for a device/protocal/or whatever) you can add it, or take something out thats in there that you don't need. You can speed up or slow down your system depending on how much extra crap you have compiled into your kernel.

That's why you need to recompile, and even though you don't have to, I would recommend trying it once, just to play around. I always keep my old kernels, becuase if my newly recompiled one breaks cause of something I did to it, I can always boot into the older one. Cause, like someone else said, you can have as many kernels compiled as you want (I have about 3 on my system.. 2.4, 2.6, and my experimental 2.6.10 where I test settings and whatnot and try to tweak my system..... it keeps me from getting bored and destorying my computer in other ways) but you can only use one kernel at a time...

to delete one, just delete the image from your /boot directory, the source from /usr/src/ and the libs (from I forogt where)...

Also, you must have the kernel source installed on your system to recompile/compile.. You can use Mandrake's, which should be on your CD's, or you can download the offical non distro specific Vanilla Kernel, from www.kernel.org (that's the direct from source Linux Kernel from Linus' team)

Happy compiling!