Ballooning kernel, way too big...

lopoetve · 10-23-2002, 03:04 PM

Ok. So I'm trying to custom compile a kernel to enable web sharing/routing on my Redhat 7.1 box. Now, I haven't done this in ages (1.5 years) so I might have something way wrong... but...

Everytime I compile the kernel and try to get LILO to use it, it tells me that the system is too big. (Or kernel is too big, I'm away from the system at the moment). Now, I didn't change much. Took out some PCMCIA stuff I didn't need, and added a few network options, took out some un-needed sound stuff... Anyway...

I run

make mrproper
make menuconfig
make deps
make bzImage
make modules
make modules_install

right? Nothing there has changed, right?

Why in the world is the kernel too big then? I even tried disabling almost everything in the kernel (took it ALL out) and it's still too big. I'm still a bit of a

but I've never had this much trouble before...

Kernel is 2.4.19 (If I remember right, it's the newest one RedHat has out as of a two weeks ago).

adam_boz · 10-23-2002, 10:24 PM

does it say that after you compile the kernel, or when you run lilo?

It always tells me that when I compile.... but I think it's if you want to put it on a disk.

lopoetve · 10-24-2002, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by adam_boz
does it say that after you compile the kernel, or when you run lilo?

It always tells me that when I compile.... but I think it's if you want to put it on a disk.

Lilo tells me the system image is too big.

Mara · 10-24-2002, 03:35 PM

Where are you booting from? From a hd or from a floppy (is LILO installed on floppy?)?

moses · 10-24-2002, 11:18 PM

Which LILO version are you using?
I'm running 22.2 with linux kernel 2.4.19, no problems.

I assume you mean "make dep" rather than "make deps", though I don't
think it matters for this, since you probably wouldn't be able to go on to
make bzImage. . .

Before you do a make modules, check to see what the final output is
from make bzImage. If it says something about a large kernel, there is
something wrong with your kernel/options. If it doesn't say anything, it
might be a problem with LILO. . .

adam_boz · 10-25-2002, 12:52 AM

shute....

MOSES:

I have been getting a warning about the kernel being too big when I do "make bzImage" in the 2.4.19 kernel. I have just been ignoring it..... Is there a problem?

I didn't get that message in the 2.4.18, but I also didn't get a couple of other messages that I can't remember at the moment (I don't think they were warnings.... just messages), so I just figured it was part of the new kernel.

moses · 10-25-2002, 04:07 AM

I almost never get a warning about my kernel being too big anymore. If I
do, I recompile and move something from kernel space to module space.

After doing a little bit more research, I think it's really only a problem if
you don't have a newer boot loader. I don't think the Makefile checks
for your LILO version, so it just assumes there is some hard limit
(based on an older LILO's limit), and tells you that your kernel is too big
when it may not be.

However, if LILO tells you your kernel is too big, then it's too big. Make
more modules, fewer built-ins.

lopoetve · 10-30-2002, 04:06 PM

Lilo is from the HD

As for the version... It's pretty new. I updated it recently.

And yes, I meant make dep. It works, anyway.

And the comment about the system size comes from Lilo, not from make.

I'm going to try a few things tonight, but Lilo so far has complained about it being too big with a completely stripped kernel. I took out everything that was optional, it it still came out as too big. I'll get the exact error tonight.

moses · 10-31-2002, 12:33 AM

Post your /etc/lilo.conf