Hello all,

I started off with Linux 2.6.22. But, to my horror, this kernel did not recognize the networking card I had. So, I then worked to create a kernel that had the networking card by upgrading to 2.6.26. I have done the following:

make O=<install_dir> oldconfig

But, then you get a whole host of items that they ask whether or not you want to add them. I have tried once and just took the "defaults" of what was there

The long of the short of it is that it *completely trashed* my system. I just kept getting *kernel panic* errors.

Now I have to start all over again :-(

Now, all I want to do is get:
1. Get the old configuration of my system AND
2. Networking cards

THAT-IS-ALL

Is there someway that this can easily be done? Is there a way to compile a new kernel so that this can be accomplished?

I am working with Opensuse 10.3 (aka SUSE or SLES 10)

Any help, hints or advice is most graciously appreciated :-)

TIA

Hi.

Your current running config _may_ be stored at /proc/config.gz. Copy that file over to your 2.6.26 source top directory, gunzip it and rename it '.config' . Then run 'make oldconfig', and you should only be asked about relevant changes.

If the /proc/config.gz file doesn't exist, there should also be a .config file in the kernel source RPM package, which you can use in much the same way.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the info. I have 4 items in the GRUB for different kernels. Is the "config" file in the /proc directory associated with the current kernel that has been brought up?

For example,

if I have a GRUB defined something like this:
-> Opensuse 10.3 (assoc. with kernel 2.6.22)
-> Opensuse 10.3 FAILSAFE (assoc. with kernel 2.6.22)
-> Linux 2.6.26 (of course, assoc. with kernel 2.6.26 - it has the ethernet card enabled)

Then, if I chose "Opensue 10.3", then the /proc/config.gz file would be associated with the kernel 2.6.22??

Also, since the 2.6.26 kernel has the networking options defined and the 2.6.22 does not have the networking options defined, can I do the following:
1. Pull the networking functionality out of the config for 2.6.26
2. Add this functionality into the config file for 2.6.22
3. Just do a make O=<install_dir> (no "oldconfig" option)

Again, all I just wanted to do was to add some kind of recognition for the ethernet card ... IF this is not a good way to do it, then can you suggest a way to just copy the old config file, specify in it "configure the networking card - only" and then create/compile a new kernel?

TIA for all the help

Hi.

Yes, the /proc/config.gz file is always for the /running/ kernel (the file doesn't actually exist as such, it's just a convenient way of extracting the configuration from the running kernel). You should still do a 'make oldconfig', to generate a valid config file for 2.6.26 from your 2.6.22 config file (that's what oldconfig is there for). It should only ask you about things that have changed between 2.6.22 and 2.6.26, hopefully including a driver for your network card.

Dave

Thank you so very much! I will try it out - wish me luck!