Problems with kernel compile

BNI · 05-30-2005, 04:20 AM

Hi all, just installed debian testing branch.
I needed a kernel recompile to get my video card working. Took a few tries, but I got it right eventually.

Now, for various reasons I want to upgrade to the 2.6 kernel.

First off, tried the debian way (make-kpkg ..., as in the sticky), which got all the way through the compilation, then suddenly spat out the following, refusing to go on any further.

Code:

/usr/bin/make -f /usr/share/kernel-package/rules real_stamp_image
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at
        /usr/share/kernel-package/kpkg-vercheck line 76 (#1)
    (W uninitialized) An undefined value was used as if it were already
    defined.  It was interpreted as a "" or a 0, but maybe it was a mistake.
    To suppress this warning assign a defined value to your variables.

    To help you figure out what was undefined, perl tells you what operation
    you used the undefined value in.  Note, however, that perl optimizes your
    program and the operation displayed in the warning may not necessarily
    appear literally in your program.  For example, "that $foo" is
    usually optimized into "that " . $foo, and the warning will refer to
    the concatenation (.) operator, even though there is no . in your
    program.

Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at
        /usr/share/kernel-package/kpkg-vercheck line 110 (#1)
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at
        /usr/share/kernel-package/kpkg-vercheck line 154 (#1)
Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at
        /usr/share/kernel-package/kpkg-vercheck line 166 (#1)
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.8'
make[1]: *** No rule to make target `real_stamp_image'.  Stop.
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.8'
make: *** [kernel-image-deb] Error 2

So, went for the generic manual compile (without initrd). Everything went smoothly until I tried to boot into it.
Kernel panic, with VFS complaining /dev/hda2 isn't a valid root device, or whatever it says when ext3 isn't compiled in. Thing is, I made sure to compile ext3fs straight in.

I'll be happy if I can get it to work either way... But i'm stumped.

vharishankar · 05-30-2005, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Thing is, I made sure to compile ext3fs straight in.

Did you compile it as a module or right into the kernel? Sorry if I'm asking the obvious, but want to make sure.

If you compiled it as a module, you would need initrd.

BNI · 05-30-2005, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Harishankar
Did you compile it as a module or right into the kernel? Sorry if I'm asking the obvious, but want to make sure.

If you compiled it as a module, you would need initrd.

Yep. Compiled straight in as in < * > ext3 support

BNI · 05-31-2005, 03:50 AM

Well, second part resolved anyway, one of the issues being that I didn't know Serial ATA counts as SCSI (?!), which wasn't compiled in, given that I don't have any SCSI devices.. except apparently my sata hard drive. So, after a lot of trial and error with that (many, many recompiles later), I found the right combination of drivers to use. Booted ok, then had some minor issues with the fact that for some reason the 2.4 series listed my sata drive as hda, while 2.6 prefers sda.
Am now content with shiny 2.6.11 kernel.