Guys, I have a production PC running 8.1 with some custom applications and modules which exist in a /home/user/lib dir and are inserted during boot by a script called from rc.local all normal looking stuff.

In an attempt to preserve the life of this setup as I can not obtain the application in a form to install, I've installed 13.37 or 14 (cant recall which for the time being) and simply copied over the /home/user stuff and trying to run the startup script as before.

However the modules just error with a whole bunch of stuff that is beyond me.

From what I do know, if I had the source for these modules, then I'd be asking a slightly different question, in that I would be trying to compile them on the new kernel but I dont.

My end goal would be to be able to install a recent version of slack and simply copy over the application and modules from the original install. Currently we are using clonezilla or acronis images and very similar hardware to recover from hardware failures.

So to the QUESTION; At this stage, is there any mileage to be gained by trying if at all possible to get these modules inserted? If so, any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

This looks like a huge security risk left unmitigated and it's not FSSTND / LSB / whatever else compliant either.


There should be enough kernel changes between 2.4 and 2.6 for this not to work. Your next step depends on what these undisclosed "custom applications" are about. If they are interactive and 'net-facing I'd start by chopping off heads as kernel 2.4 era networked services aren't even remotely funny anymore.

Sounds like you will need to run a slackware 8.1 vm.

I would look at maintaining the legacy setup in a virtual machine on a modern PC running an up to date operating system.
It seems curious that an application that requires kernel modules for which you do not have the source has not been superseded since 8.1

Thanks for comments thus far.

I the box is not net facing and in fact until recently, wasnt even networked. It simply interfaces with hardware on a production machine and does some calculations, makes some decisions and so forth. It is isolated and one could argue that it does not need any updating I guess. There are two expansion cards inside, both for the connectivity to the various pieces of hardware and other PC's on the machine. One of these I believe is an 8 port serial adapter, the other, similar but not so standard looking.

I don't have access to the PC but can get any info needed I guess but from reading above and my trolling through google, I'm thinking that getting these modules to run on a newer kernel isn't going to be a walk in the part.


I had thought about a VM, indeed when I first cast eyes on this, that was my first thought but I then questioned the fact that it had come additional hardware and then the VM confusion set in.

If you consider the VM solution, AFAIR even Slackware 9.1 had a 2.4 kernel. That's what I started with, the switch to 2.6 came later.

The thing that concerns me and confuses is the additional hardware, the expansion cards for example, these wont be visable by the guest in a new build, rendering it useless

What expansion cards do you need it to see? Network, sound, video and even SCSI cards are able to be 'virtualised' these days.

Echoing the thoughts above, you'll probably have the best results putting it into a VM. Without the source code, you aren't going to get a 2.4 series module into any modern kernel. Heck, it was hard enough switching between 2.4 releases... Big changes came with short notice in that particular kernel series... which is why I think an 8.1 VM with the exact same kernel version you're currently working with is your best shot at keeping it going.

More info about the application and what the kernel modules do may help people suggest alternative solutions to your problem.

There are two expansion cards installed, one of which I'm pretty sure is an 8 RS232 ports and the other similar, only not so normal looking connectors.

Unless I'm way off a guest Os wont see this hardware on a host so I'm not so sure this would be a viable solution unfortunately, though I would be delighted to be corrected.

I'm going to try and find out a bit more aout these modules and also the two hardware cards and will update here.

Slack 12.0 was the first that was released with a 2.6 kernel, although, 11.0 had a 2.6 kernel in the extra/ section that could be installed.

Hi,

I hope your device is not big format printer...

I faced similar situation in the past (the PC failed) and I see that the folks here don't understand you.
It could be that one of the expansion cards is a custom made piece of hardware, that requires the proprietary kernel modules.
If you don't have the source code and the card is *custom*, then you have no chances of upgrading to newer kernel.
What you could try do, is to run VM with PCI pass-through, but make sure the device can be passed through properly in the first place.

In my case it happened that we had to order the PC from the manufacturer with the whole software stack.
An old crappy PC that cost a fortune (normally would cost ~100 euro).

Hope this helps.

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Best regards,
Andrzej Telszewski