Gentoo and Slackware
 

Hiya,

Until recently I was a happy Slackware user. Unfortunately, my USB CDROM would not function under Slack, despite all the help and good advice I obtained here. I even had one of the most friendly and awesome guru here (Hi, Tink! Thanks!) spend days with me trying to fix the problem, so it was not for lack of trying.

I switched to Gentoo, which recognized my CDROM at boot, and now for the first time my laptop is doing everything that I could do in Windows.

For anyone who's interested, Gentoo runs as fast as Slackware, and Portage, which I initially disdained, is incredibly awesome.

But still, there are some little aspects of Gentoo that bother me, and that's why I want Slackware back.

I've been led to believe that the only reason I can use my CDROM on Gentoo and not on Slack is due to the kernel. Am I correct?

If so, does anyone know the difference between the gentoo-sources kernel and the base Slackware kernel? Or direct me someplace where I can find out the difference?

Many thanks,
Ren

it's not the sources, it's how the are compiled...

from gentoo, look in /boot for a file called `config` This lists all the options compiled into the kernel.

slackware's default config is plopped into /usr/src/linux after installation, it's a dot-file so it's hidden: use ls -a to find it.

you can compile slackware's kernel using the same options from gentoo's - mostly.

make config is kinda cryptic
make menuconfig is easier to use
make xconfig is easiest of all.

there are two articles on compiling a kernel stuck to the top of this forum -- read them - repeatedly - then print them out & refer to them when configuring your kernel

Thanks, bnice.

The "gentoo-sources" kernel I mentioned is the name of their configured and patched kernel. What I'm curious to know is what settings they used to compile the kernel.

bash-2.05b$ ls -a boot
. .keep boot.0300 kernel-2.4.22-gentoo-r5
.. boot initrd-2.4.22-gentoo-r5 map
bash-2.05b$

I couldn't find the config file, but thanks for pointing me in that direction.

If it's any help, I used genkernel to do the configuration, as following the kernel compile directions from the Slackware Essentials book (to the letter) rendered my system unbootable.

Ren

I have been venturing out a bit to see how other distro works, installed gentoo quite succesfully and tried its famed portage system. Emerge is cool, that's no doubt about it. But the problem lies with me, i dont have a broad band connection to the internet, to make the matter worst i cannot let the machine compile stuffs for hours without letting another user to use it. Guess i have to wait for my broadband and my personal pc before I can try out Gentoo again. Sorry, if my post is not of any help to you, just sharing some thoughts. Cheers.

look in /usr/src/linux-2.4.22-gentoo-r5 for the .config file, it should be there

I've not used genkernel, but isn't that a gentoo tool? with slackware instructions?

Yes, genkernel is a Gentoo kernel compiling tool. I'm still on Gentoo, until I can figure out what's the difference between it and Slackware (to use the CDROM).

I found the .config file, great. :) Am I correct in assuming as long as every option in the Gentoo .config I set when I reinstall Slackware and recompile the kernel, my hardware will work?

Sorry if it's obvious, I want this to be as clear as possible.

Ren

The gentoo-sources kernel is heavily patched, so just copying over the .config "might" not work. I say might becuase I'm not sure if your cdrom is covered under a patch or just a normal part of the 2.4.2x kernel.

an easy way to find if the gentoo kernel stuff that is working, would work in slack would be to install slackware on another partition and not install a kernel then setup slackware so it boots off the gentoo kernel. If it works, use it. Kinda of a sloppy way to get it to work but it might get you going and then you can worry about patching/compiling a kernel for slackware later.