Hi.
Is it mandatory to have the name of the makefile as 'Makefile' for kernal module compilation ?

I have written a small kernel module for 2.6 kernel. I have written the make file as required for 2.6, but named the makefile as 'Makefile.2.6'.

When I execute make using the command "make -f Makefile.2.6", Compilation starts and when kbuild has to call my Makefile, instead of calling Makefile.2.6 it calls Makefile (which is available in the same directory, for user space compilation).


Can't I have any userdefined name for my kernel module Makefile like Makefile.2.6

Below is the error log.

make -w -f Makefile.lk.2.6make: Entering directory `/home/kernel/TOS/code/my_module'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-EP80579_8K/build M=/home/kernel/TOS/code/my_module SUBDIRS=/home/kernel/TOS/code/my_module
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/redhat/BUILD/kernel-2.6.18/linux-2.6.18.i386'
/home/kernel/TOS/code/my_module/Makefile:4: ../LR/make.h: No such file or directory
/home/kernel/TOS/code/my_module/Makefile:5: ../LR/make.rule: No such file or directory
/home/kernel/TOS/code/my_module/Makefile:6: make.h: No such file or directory
make[2]: *** No rule to make target `make.h'. Stop.
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/kernel/TOS/code/my_module] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/redhat/BUILD/kernel-2.6.18/linux-2.6.18.i386'
make: *** [all] Error 2
make: Leaving directory `/home/kernel/TOS/code/future/ipsecv4'
[root@localhost ipsecv4]# vim /lib/modules/2.6.18-EP80579_8K/build/Makefile

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Regards
Narender

Welcome to Linux Questions.

Yes, make will go for "Makefile" or "makefile".

If you want to keep the original Makefile,
you will have rename it temporarily,
while using your own Makefile.

'mv Makefile Makefile.orig'
'mv Makefile.2.6 Makefile'

And rename back after compiling.
( Suggest : keep backup copies of both,
if something goes wrong .. overwriting, etc.)
....

what about the Kbuild name for a km makefile? is it valid? in modules.txt inside usr/src/linux/Documentation/kbuild (on a slackware distro) it says it can also be be valid in the recent kernel versions. but when i use make to build a kernel module (on a 2.6.x kernel) accordingly to my Kbuild file, make will say this:

make: *** No targets specified and no makefile found. Stop.

does anyone have anything to say on this!?

thx!
dave.

@ antiregulator
If you don't see a makefile, there isn't one.

But in fact a makefile can have any name, then
you can call it with the ' -f flag ' :

make -f <filename>

.....