Making custom kernel..but drivers and modules wont load on boot

skoal · 12-05-2001, 02:23 PM

Hello

I tried several times to make a custom kernal. Every single time after I do all the required steps, none of my modules and drivers get moved to /lib/modules/'custom kernal name'/kernel/

Is there something I am missing? Oh yeah..these are the commandes i have used.

make dep
make clean
make bzImage
make modules_install
make install

And I am using redhat 7.2 with grub. The kernal will boot but no drivers or modules will load up.

acid_kewpie · 12-05-2001, 02:39 PM

make modules

skoal · 12-05-2001, 03:30 PM

Oh yeah..i forgot to mention i did make modules aswell.

ascii2k · 12-05-2001, 03:45 PM

I have seen this before. I would suggest first checking your message log. Look for anything about not being able to find modules,dependecies, etc. It could be that the path is wrong or the system is just looking in the wrong directory for the new modules. That's what the problem usually seemed to be for me.

isajera · 12-05-2001, 05:36 PM

ok... make sure that the kernel sources are either in /usr/src/linux, or that there is a symlink from /usr/src/linux-2.4.? to the linux dir (which is the way it SHOULD be...) if the compile can't find the sources, you're going to have problems with the modules.

also... go through the config option again and make sure that you've correctly selected the modules as modules, and not as having been compiled directly into the kernel, or mistakenly unselected. 'make xconfig' is the easiest way to configure the kernel.

Aussie · 12-06-2001, 01:24 AM

Try doing "depmod -ae" as root.

skoal · 12-06-2001, 11:04 AM

I thank you for the help and will attempt to recompile again when I have some time to invest in it. But anyone have any idea why something like this would happen? It seems very odd since I just installed the system fresh, and have not tinkered with it at all. Its with the kernel 2.4.7-10 on a red hat 7.2 distribution from unixcd.com. Very odd indeed.

Aussie · 12-06-2001, 11:26 AM

Building a new kernel is a quite substantial bit of tinkering to do to a linux install.
Don't be put off by the fact that your first attempt didn't work as intended, I think most of the regulars here will agree with me when I say that it takes a few goes at it before you get one that works.
Just keep compiling and asking questions and when your first custom kernel boots you'll feel the same thrill we all did at a difficult job well done.

isajera · 12-06-2001, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aussie

Just keep compiling and asking questions and when your first custom kernel boots you'll feel the same thrill we all did at a difficult job well done.

...actually, i was too scared to do anything more substantial than an ls when i built my first kernel... i kept expecting it to crash or start smoking or somthing.

DavidPhillips · 12-06-2001, 06:00 PM

I had several problems related to compiling things with the original install.

Putting a symlink named linux pointing to the linux-2.4 symlink seemed to corect some of the problems I had.

Also this symlink should stay good because the linux-2.4 link will be changed to point to the current kernel.

Aussie · 12-06-2001, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by isajera

...actually, i was too scared to do anything more substantial than an ls when i built my first kernel... i kept expecting it to crash or start smoking or somthing.

Heh...I remember my first time, I was bouncing around in my chair with anticipation when I did the three finger salute and waited for the machine to boot so I could view the fruits of my labour, and then....kernel panic?!?....What the?!?
Needles to say thank gnu for lilo and back up kernel images