Compiling Kernel 2.6.14.1

Okay, so I decided I wanted a new kernel and have been following a guide posted in another thread http://www.digitalhermit.com/linux/K....html#BUILDING and I am up to near the very end.

I am stuck at this chunk here:

To create the initrd, do the following: 
$ mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.6.0.img 2.6.0
Some versions of mkinitrd may require other options to specify the location of the new kernel. On SuSe 9.0, for example, the following syntax is required:   
$ mkinitrd -k vmlinux-VERSION -i initrd-VERSION

I have tried many variations, all of them end up like this:

Garibaldi:/usr/src/linux-2.6.14.1 # mkinitrd -k vmlinux-2.6.14.1 -i initrd-2.6.14.1
Root device:    /dev/hda1 (mounted on / as xfs)
Module list:    piix processor thermal fan xfs

No kernel image /boot/vmlinux-2.6.14.1 found
Garibaldi:/usr/src/linux-2.6.14.1 #

So what am I doing wrong, and how can I fix this?

Try:

mkinitrd -k vmlinuz-2.6.14.1 -i initrd-2.6.14.1

EDIT: Just had a brief look at the HowTo. The order seems to be a little mixed up. At the stage where they want you to create initrd, the kernel binary has not even been installed. It's rather obvious that the file you are refering to in the mkinitrd command, actually needs to be present.

did you copy your bzImage to /boot directory

   

     1 make xconfig -----> GUI/ gtk based

    2  make menuconfig ----> ncurses based

   3.

      After you make all choices save settings into .config file
   4.

      Run$ nice +19 make bzImage
   5.

      $ nice +19 make modules This will take a long time so go to sleep...
   6.

      Run make modules_install

      Warning: This will install modules in /lib/modules directory.
   7.

      cp /usr/src/linux-your-version/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-your-version
   8.

      cp /usr/src/linux-your-version/System.map /boot/System.map-2.6.11-version
   9.

      cp /usr/src/linux-your-version/.config /boot/config-2.6.11-version
  10.

      Unlink the old vmlinuz, initrd
  11.

      Now execute, mkinitrd -k vmlinuz-2.6.11-version -i initrd-2.6.11-version -b /boot
  12.

      If you have a splash image then (check www.bootsplash.de) enable bootsplash option in the kernel config file .config,

      mkinitrd -k vmlinuz-2.6.11.10 -i initrd-2.6.11.10 -s 1024x768 -b /boot
  13.

      Create softlinks to new vmlinuz, initrd
  14.

      Edit your grub menu.lst if required

steps 7 through 14 can be done automatically no need to worry about names copying, editing GRUB, making initrd:

basically whole process is one/two step
1)
make bzImage && make modules && make modules_install
2) make install

second step will
copy compiled kernel, System.map to /boot, create initrd, create symlinks, edit GRUB and add correct entries to menu.lst

No errors, no worries about correct names, steps and so on. Obviously you can add "make install" to the first step and have it done.

i prefer to make an rpm by issuing "make rpm" and then installing it by "rpm -ivh pkgname.rpm" but this will not setup your menu.lst file for you, you have do it manually btw the initrd image also needs to be created too.

broch,
Your method was right on the money. I have 2.6.14.1 up and running on my system, which is pretty cool. The only issue I have, aside from I don't feel like I actually gained anything. Speedwise the new kernel feels nearly identical(though until I get my replacement 512Mb of ram from the bad sticks I recieved online, I only have 256, which is most of the problem I am sure). I haven't tested USB drives for upgraded speed yet, though, I am hoping it is quite faster.

Anywho, the only single issue I have is this... The boot loader used to say:

SuSE 10
Suse 10 Failsafe
Memtest
(something I forget)

Now instead of being able to chose SuSE 10(it errors upon loading modules, which isn't shocking to me as it still wants to use 2.6.13.15, which is gone, there is a new line on top called:
"Linux 2.6.14.1" or something similar, and it does not have the same loading screen(which is okay). It does load all my old settings, internet, video, mp3, KDE 3.4 with SuSE enhancements, kbfx, and superkaramba, etc. Everything I did have, seems to be working just fine. So it is working as I wanted... save for that new option. I would prefer it to have replaced the SuSE 10 thing, so that upon rebooting the default option of SuSE 10 is chosen with my new kernel, rather than having to scroll up one choice to get it to load. It is a minor inconveince, and probably is just GRUB settings(am I right?)

So anyone got an idea how to fix that?

to gain something you will need at least customize kernel sources by:
1) removing stuff you don't have/don't need
2) enabling specific CPU, preempt, RT, HZ

eventually applying extra patches that increase system responsiveness.

The above may:
- speed up startup
- optimize memory management
- increase system (GUI) responsiveness under load

The above will not:
increase system speed, this is one of the legends that you should not believe (customization = speed or neew kernel = speed)

you should fix modules for system stability

SuSE is using bootsplash, vanilla kernel is not.

You may need to edit GRUB menu file to adjust video (vesafb options) and if you want change selection name from linux to SuSE or anything you like (e.g. "my spanking new super fast 2.6.14 kernel")

This was basically a test run to know I could do it shoudl I need to, without farking the whole system over. I am pleased with how well it came out, actually, considering.

So... these kernel patches... are there big least of these optimizations, or a ranking/recommendation site of notable worth I should be looking at to consider what of them I should be using?

I did enable the P4 specific stuff, what I did not do, was remove a lot of the optionals, I wanted to be sure it would work really, as I mentioned, it was a test more than I really expected to gain a ton of anything.

GRUB menu file, any idea where that is in SuSE 10?

First trim down kernel (mine is 1210kb, default is 1625kb)
If this will work, then it means that you know what are you doing.
Next try patches.
current patches that I am using from here:
http://forums.gentoo.org/viewforum-f...f866e7da6434ce
acid
archck
nitro

There are other patches obviously.

You can also get the lates SuSE kernel: 2.4.14.1-20051109164729.
for 32-bit here:
http://search.belnet.be/packages/sus...otd/i386/HEAD/
for 64-bit here:
http://search.belnet.be/packages/sus...d/x86_64/HEAD/
download and install sources only. Yast will unpack kernel sources in /usr/src
run make xconfig (or whatever), configure compile install. Remember DO NOT install extra patches on SuSE kernel.