Newbie Guide To Compiling A Kernel!

I was looking under the /boot directory and notice there is a symlink as follows:

module-info --> module-info-2.4.20-8

Shouldnt this be pointing to the new modules file? If so, where is it?

Thanks

BTW, a MUCH easier way to install your kernel is:

make install

Arrgg! I know it's not supposed to be this hard, as a matter of fact, the very first time I ever compiled a kernel it went perfectly!

I am trying to compile a 2.4 kernel on my system. I am using Mandrake 10 and have tried the 2.4.25 that comes with Mandrake 10, as well as trying 2.4.22. Everything goes fine until I am making modules, and then it stops on me with a couple error 2 and error 1's and on both kernels it is on usb.o. Here is the output I get beginning with where it appears to start having problems:

make[3]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/drivers/usb/storage' gcc -D__KERNEL__ -I/usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-trigraphs -O2 -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -march=i686 -DMODULE -DMODVERSIONS -include /usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/include/linux/modversions.h -I../../scsi/ -nostdinc -iwithprefix include -DKBUILD_BASENAME=usb -c usb.c -o usb.o In file included from usb.c:50: /usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/include/linux/suspend.h:47: warning: `struct notifier_block' declared inside parameter list /usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/include/linux/suspend.h:47: warning: its scope is only this definition or declaration, which is probably not what you want /usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/include/linux/suspend.h:48: warning: `struct notifier_block' declared inside parameter list /usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/include/linux/suspend.h:49: warning: `struct notifier_block' declared inside parameter list /usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/include/linux/suspend.h:50: warning: `struct notifier_block' declared inside parameter list In file included from usb.c:196: unusual_devs.h:268: error: `US_PR_ZIOCF' undeclared here (not in a function) unusual_devs.h:268: error: initializer element is not constant unusual_devs.h:268: error: (near initialization for `us_unusual_dev_list[29].useTransport') unusual_devs.h:268: error: `init_ziocf' undeclared here (not in a function) unusual_devs.h:268: error: initializer element is not constant unusual_devs.h:268: error: (near initialization for `us_unusual_dev_list[29].initFunction') unusual_devs.h:268: error: initializer element is not constant unusual_devs.h:268: error: (near initialization for `us_unusual_dev_list[29]')

This begins counting up [29, [30], etc. Then goes to:

usb.c:200: error: initializer element is not constant usb.c:200: error: (near initialization for `us_unusual_dev_list[104]')

This counts up where the 200 goes up, and the [104] counts up as well, then I get these final lines:

make[3]: *** [usb.o] Error 1 make[3]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/drivers/usb/storage' make[2]: *** [_modsubdir_storage] Error 2 make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/drivers/usb' make[1]: *** [_modsubdir_usb] Error 2 make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.4.25-2mdk/drivers' make: *** [_mod_drivers] Error 2

I am assuming that this is a problem of some sort with that module, but I dont have any idea what to do. BTW, I am sticking with a 2.4 Kernel because my video card drivers wont work on 2.6.

I've been working on trying to get 2.6.4 installed on my RedHat 9 (Athlon XP) system for a while now, and have had NO luck. DrOzz's tutorial helped out a LOT, but I'm still having one problem (at least, I think it's only one)

All the modules seem to compile fine, everything seems to work perfectly, until I try mkinitrd. I always come up with the same error.

[root@beecee boot]# /sbin/mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.6.4.img 2.6.4
No module /bin/true found for kernel 2.6.4

I can't seem to figure out how to include /bin/true, there doesn't seem to be an option in the configuration tool (I'm using xconfig).

Any ideas??

I'm doing the same thing, only I get no such file or directory!! Help!

-edit- /sbin/mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.6.5.img 2.6.5 returns "no such file or directory"

Originally posted by Nic-MDKman I am assuming that this is a problem of some sort with that module, but I dont have any idea what to do. BTW, I am sticking with a 2.4 Kernel because my video card drivers wont work on 2.6.

As for your USB problem, make sure you have OHCI, UHCI & EHCI USB built into the kernel instead of as modules and that should take care of your usb storage errors.

As for you video drivers, what video card do you have?? I have a Nvidia GeForceFX 5600 that works great in 2.6 and there are reports here that show the ATI drivers also work, unless you have a different card.

rberry88

did both of you before rberrys post upgrade your modutils ? (if necessary)
they are the first two links in my tutorial in the first sentence, explaining
the process .. and did you try without the initrd image ? also if necessary, explain
below.

An initrd image is needed for loading your SCSI module at boot time or if you are compiling the kernel with ext3 support as a module. If you do not need an initrd image, do not make one and do not edit lilo.conf or grub.conf to include this image.

I'm having the same problem as tarheel92x's having.....

Mounting root filesystem
mount: erroe 19 mounting ext3
pivotroot: pivot_root(/sysroot./sysroot/initrd) failed: 2
umount /initrd/proc failed: 2
Freeing unused kernel memory: 240k freed
Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.

mchirico: Do you have any suggestions rather than recompiling the kernel all over again?
If no, how do I undo the new kernel?

Umm..... why does RH8 and 9 have so much more steps?? Does the same problem occurs for other distros?

drivers/char/applicom.c:523:2: warning: #warning "Je suis stupide. DW. - copy*user in cli"

That's an interesting error message if I've ever seen one.

I have a silly question to ask....
Does upgrading the kernel means more hardware support? I tried a few kernels but I keep getting problems, tried 2.5.8, 2.5.75, 2.6.0 and 2.6.5, I'm going to try again though.....
By the way, I get a missing parameter error while trying to run "/sbin/grub-install". where do I install grub? hd0?

I've just started using Redhat 9 (kernel 2.4.20-8), can't get my ATI 9200 to work, also planned to try using SATA RAID in future..... any ways to try whether my existing kernel can support SATA?

I'm using MSI's KT6V (VIA KT600 chipset) mobo with an Athlon 2000+ if this helps....

Cheers!
Will

not only was that probablly the best writeup ive seen on compiling a kernel, it just saved me from having to write a procedure!



Thank you,
Ryan

thanks for your input rsmccain

-

[root@localhost linux-2.6.5-1.351]# make install
make[1]: `arch/i386/kernel/asm-offsets.s' is up to date.
CHK include/linux/compile.h
Kernel: arch/i386/boot/bzImage is ready
sh /usr/src/linux-2.6.5-1.351/arch/i386/boot/install.sh 2.6.5-1.351custom arch/i386/boot/bzImage System.map ""
FATAL: Could not open '/boot/System.map-2.6.5-1.351custom': Permission denied
No dep file found for kernel 2.6.5-1.351custom
mkinitrd failed
make[1]: *** [install] Error 1
make: *** [install] Error 2

any ideas why it does this?

Hi Dr0zz! I have a question.
Ok, i installed the 2.6.5 kernel from an rpm. installation went fine, but when i try to boot the 2.6.5 kernel, it gets to the part where it says freeing kernel memory, then after that right before it should normally say INIT: version blah booting, it just hangs. my grub.conf file looks like this:

#boot=/dev/hda
default=2
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Fedora Core (2.6.5-1.356)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.5-1.356 ro root=LABEL=/ hdd=ide-scsi rhgb
initrd /initrd-2.6.5-1.356.img
title Fedora Core (2.4.22-1.2115.nptl)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2115.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ hdd=ide-scsi rhgb
initrd /initrd-2.4.22-1.2115.nptl.img
title DOS
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

any ideas as what i should do?