I do not run -current so your case does not apply here. However, look in /etc/slackpkg/blacklist for hints on how you may proceed.

@NightSky: Do you have some hardware not well managed by the current kernel + drivers installed?

Slackware's kernel configuration is made in such a way to accommodate as many pieces of hardware as possible, be it old or new, so I would be surprised that you miss something.

But if that is the case just let us know what exactly is not managed or doesn't behave properly, so we can really help you.

Otherwise, I don't see why you would need to change your kernel's configuration, let alone upgrade it.

Upgrading would be useful only in the case you have some fairly recent hardware, not yet managed by 3.2.21.

I think it sound like things are getting confused a little here.

With the kernel you have I've no reason to believe any hardware you have wont be supported - you just need to ensure the modules your hardware needs are added into your kernel config. Add anything that is required for initial boot (Filesystem for root device, hard disk controller driver) as compiled-in[*] - everything else as a module [M] and away you go.

Slackpkg tracks your packages. Some packages install the kernels, like /var/log/packages/kernel-*. Yet it is the bootloader (normally LILO via /etc/lilo.conf) that determines which kernel you really boot from. So slackpkg will not know that you have installed a new kernel.

I would add to zordrak's last post that this would be useful in the case you want to use a generic kernel but not an initrd.

http://blog.tpa.me.uk/2009/08/30/the-evil-of-initrd/

@zordrak: I did use to waste a lot of time tweaking my kernel's configuration and even am guilty of some posts on LQ about how to do that.

But now I am back to the initrd way, as it is a lot faster e.g. to install a "generic" Slackware kernel and I didn't notice any significant increase in performance with a customized kernel. Would I really want the best possible performance for my system anyhow, I would choose a source distribution instead of Slackware so that every application, not only the kernel, be optimized.

I can admit though that from an aesthetic point of view an initrd may not be the kind of thing you would dream of

Thanks Chris. lol zordak.. I don't run intrid. Don't have unsupported hardware. Slackware is great this way. I want to remove modules I will never use. Customize kernel setting to the CPU I have installed, ie. High Memory, 1000hz+, Root FileSys, and whatever else will optimize the use of my hardware for multi -media use. I am running vmlinuz-huge-3.2.21 which is a pre-release so I can't recompile it.
zordrak, thank you for posted lin. Following is not a complete quote just what i thought relevant::
zordrak, No kernel src to download, no mrproper to clean source code? Just go into my huge.config, make changes, set the localversion, make modules_install, mv & dymlink, thats it, to change the kernel config of local version which is the same kernel with the same modules, minus what I strip out.
Didier, I would love to learn my way around the kernel. Why put regular gas in my engine if I can use hi-octane @ same cost

You might consider make localmodconfig
to remove unused modules.
I have just helped test an upgrade to that configuration tool for the upcoming 3.6 kernel
It does work in 3.2 but gets even better in 3.6
john

Because you won't notice any performance increase in using hi-octane.

Removing modules you will never use won't change anything on your system, but save some space on disk.

If you want to do that you shouldn't take a huge kernel as a basis but a generic one anyway.

FYI in Slackware kernels, High Memory is already set up at 4GB (do you have more?) and Timer Frequency at 1000 HZ.

Oh and vmlinuz-huge-3.2.21 is not a pre-release, it's a stable release.

I suggest you go step by step.

The first step would be to install a generic kernel with an initrd. For that, just follow instructions you will find in file /boot/README.initrd.

After that, come back and we will tell you how to go further, including how to use "make localmodconfig" properly if you want to try that.

1 members found this post helpful.

Actually diddler.
make: *** No rule to make target `localconfig'. Stop.
its "make localmodconfig".
Anyone how examines the script can see its very simple to use it "properly"
thanks
john

@AlleyTrotter: I corrected the typo, thanks.

As a reminder, the "localmodconfig" target is available since 2.6.32 kernel release, see this thread.

About "properly" let me tell you this though:
1) "Anyone how examines the script..." => my guess is that not all readers of this thread are fluent in sh or bash nor able to find by themselves the script you are speaking about.
2) It's very easy to end up with some not working removable device just because it was not plugged in or not in use before you typed "make localmodconfig".

1 members found this post helpful.

Sorry for the name
I guess I am building kernels for too long.
It's just seems so easy for me.
(Thanks to kernel devs for making it so)
What was hard was downloading 16 or was it 15 floppies
over 1200baud connection
LOL
john

PS special thanks to Pat and the guys/gals? for the great .config to start from, otherwise it would probably be very difficult.

And yes D I know when it became available. The reason for the 3.2 is thats whats in current.

Didier, I'm familiar with that post & caveats, asked you about your post before. Dummy question how are pre-releases and stable kernels defined & differentiated? Googled the question to no avail that's why I posted /boot content again. Thank you and Alley too. Hopefully i will be able to proceed smoothly now. lol I will let you know.

You can see that on http://kernel.org: kernels whose version end in a number are stables, those ending in -rc<number> are pre-releases (or "mainline" as shown on the website).