LinuxQuestions.org
Review your favorite Linux distribution.
Home Forums Tutorials Articles Register
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Newbie
User Name
Password
Linux - Newbie This Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question? If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 11-26-2018, 10:29 AM   #1
OSBuildX
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Oct 2018
Location: Finland
Distribution: debian, arch, you name it.
Posts: 14

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Separate initrd/vmlinuz for different media / arch?


Well, might as well ask here. Distribution I am usually using is latest debian.

Question:
Why is there separate kernel and ramdisk for different install media or even different architecture and not kernel/ramdisk that would ask the installation method and system architecture before starting the load process like the bootloaders distributions comes with can do (isolinux/syslinux/grub 2/hell even G4D thx to chenall) and load "almost" any architecture?
 
Old 11-27-2018, 08:59 PM   #2
AwesomeMachine
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: USA and Italy
Distribution: Debian testing/sid; OpenSuSE; Fedora; Mint
Posts: 5,524

Rep: Reputation: 1015Reputation: 1015Reputation: 1015Reputation: 1015Reputation: 1015Reputation: 1015Reputation: 1015Reputation: 1015
Because the binary kernel is different ( the compilation ) depending on which arch it is. The kernel image would be huge if you tried to pack everything together.
 
1 members found this post helpful.
Old 11-28-2018, 10:12 AM   #3
OSBuildX
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Oct 2018
Location: Finland
Distribution: debian, arch, you name it.
Posts: 14

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: Disabled
I know it's huge, currently compiling/building one as there is none which I am aware.

I don't see how or why 'size' would be comparable with 'support' which is why I am asking. Also the idea of missing something existing like network,storage hardware or filesystem support is completely none sense as they could be build together. Of course some media formats can be ignored, but at least having all standards supported would be improvement.

Why would it matter, if kernel and ramdisk takes 35MB or 500MB, if it can boot anything existing and would be modifiable at start time? (or only thing I can think of is BIOS INT13 limitation 503,44MB.)

Last edited by OSBuildX; 11-28-2018 at 10:15 AM.
 
  


Reply



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
[SOLVED] How to user vmlinuz-generic instead of vmlinuz-huge-smp? cola Slackware 12 09-15-2009 01:54 PM
creating vmlinuz and initrd on distribution media tkmsr Linux - Kernel 4 10-24-2007 01:13 PM
How to update the pxe network install initrd.img and vmlinuz ? lets-eat-gary Linux - Networking 3 08-20-2006 03:45 PM
how to encrypt initrd.img and decrypt in vmlinuz. AshesOfTime Programming 1 12-09-2004 03:48 PM
booting vmlinuz/initrd from a bootloader bob_man_uk Linux - General 4 04-07-2004 09:47 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Newbie

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:49 PM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration