This is probably going to sound like a stupid question... but how to Arch intend you to do custom kernels? Is there some pacman package for downloading the full kernel source that I'm missing or are I just suppose to install a kernel.org kernel and uninstall there kernel package? I'm not quite sure how the dependencies work and I don't want to cause a conflict a bunch of packages that contain a kernel package as a dependency.

"I'm not quite sure how the dependencies work and I don't want to cause a conflict a bunch of packages that contain a kernel package as a dependency."

If the new kernel is a later version than the old kernel then you usually don't have dependency problems. One notable exception to this rule is that older versions of cdrecord have problems running on kernel 2.6.x.

"but how to Arch intend you to do custom kernels? Is there some pacman package for downloading the full kernel source that I'm missing or are I just suppose to install a kernel.org kernel and uninstall there kernel package?"

I don't think any of the distributions have a method for creating kernels from kernel.org source. I always do the download myself and compile a second kernel to dual boot with my old kernel until the new kernel works OK.

---------------------------
Steve Stites

Right, that is typically what I do as well... I'm just coming from the gentoo world were some packages are dependent on having a kernel package installed through the package management system and I didn't want to screw up anything on arch be removing the kernel package and installing my own custom kernel.

You can use ABS to compile your custom kernel, check out this wiki page for some instructions, at the moment I'm running 2.6.11-gentoo-r4 under Arch following those instructions

Thanks for the info, I'm working on setuping a build for a grsec/mm kernel as we speak

Once your done, post your PKGBUILD in the Arch forums so some poor bugger after doesn't need to do the hard yards You don't need to register to post if you don't want to save time.

jtshaw, the Arch kernel i very well optimized and uses some patches that are not included in the kernel.org kernel. It's really unnecessary unless you need to add support something exotic. I have never had to recompile my kernel under Arch and I use the synaptics touchpad drivers, NVIDIA drivers, etc..

especially using the 'testing' packages.. my latest kernel upgrade was from a 2.6.11.1 to 2.6.11.3

I see no benefit to be gained by recompiling an Arch kernel.

I have actually created a new arch kernel package. It is exactly the same as the 2.6.11.3 kernel26 package from arch testing except it is using the 2.6.11.5 source and I added the grsecurity patch along with the patches arch already adds. I'm working on extending it even further by adding the ReiserFS4 part of the MM patch as well.

PKGBUILD
config

The config script there has all the same options as the normal arch config script with grsec and pax enabled as well. You'll need to copy the logo_linux_clut224.ppm file from the kernel26 directory into the directory where you put this to make it work... after all, we wouldn't want to loose the pretty arch logo on the frame buffer

WOOT!!! Go jtshaw!!! Did you post that up on the Arch forums as well?

Sure did.

woot guys what is the Arch Kernel ? is there a homepage or something ? i may look pretty noob now :P but i need to have something to read :P

the Arch kernel would be the kernel which Arch uses. Just a linux kernel with some patching and optimizations in it.. the homepage would be www.archlinux.org

May I add that Arch comes highly regarded by the majority of people who use it.

I suspect you need to download the src directly from kernel.org

I deduce from this Nvidia traditional installation (through NVIDIA pkg.run):

hxxp://wiki2.archlinux.org/index.php/How%20to%20install%20NVIDIA%20Driver

See last section (traditional way).