root@slackbox:/usr/src/linux-smp-2.6.17.13# ls -l /usr/src/linux
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 19 2007-01-23 22:43 /usr/src/linux -> linux-smp-2.6.17.13/

There it is. That's the symbolic link.

I think there have been some major misunderstandings ...

One step at a time, then, and I hope we fix it!

Correct! The elaborate steps are very similar to building a normal source package, with make menuconfig standing in for ./configure and messing with lilo last.

-- as user --
1. Get source (kernel.org or kernel-src package)
2. Unpack source, cd into dir
3. make menuconfig
4. make
-- as root --
5. make modules_install
6. make install
7. joe /etc/lilo.conf
8. lilo

This is an architecture issue, really. The instruction architecture is what operations the chip can perform, and the base-operations are i386. i486, i586 and i686 are the same, but with extra bits. If you're using SMP, don't worry about it. Google for "x86 architecture history" and check wikipedia's entry on x86 for more information.

Ok, here's what I think you're doing ...

1. Getting the tgz for smp-2.6..
2. cd to /usr/src
3. Untarring the tgz
4. cd to kernel-smp-2..
5. make menuconfig

Correct in principle, but, so so so wrong.

The major mistake you're making is thinking that kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-3 is actually a source package. IT IS NOT! You actually want to get: kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1 from extra/linux-2.6.17.13

How do we know it's source? Well, 1. it has "source" it the name and 2. it has no architecture (no i686), so is either interpreted (does not need compiling) or is not compiled yet, thus source.

Next thing is to install it ... DO NOT UNTAR IT!

installpkg is like rpm -i .

Now you'll find /usr/src/linux is a symlink to /usr/src/linux-2.6.17.13

You can *now* cd to there, run make menuconfig or make oldconfig and away you go! You can extract the .config files from the precompiled kernels (the list you've already given us ... see above) in slackware and use them as a base to work from.

I think make works fine, like it said: there is no rule ...
Which is true unless you actually have the sources.

- Piete.

Piete, thanks for all the help. Now i need further assistance. I followed your suggestion and it worked i think pretty good. But now i got a kernel panic when booting both the old and the new kernels. Is says:
'not syncing VFS: unable to mount root fs in unknown-block ()'.

How does one get this fixed?

Alright! Now we're back on track, this is one of those "oh damn, I knew I forgot something ..." moments you will come to know in kernel compilation.

Basically it cannot find a filesystem driver.

There are 2 fixes to this:

1. You made your filesystem a module, so you need to make an initial ramdisk that preloads the module for you. Have a search around for advice on "initrd" - there's info one of the slack files itself.

2. Just compile the filesystem in to your kernel. (This is what i do)

By default, the kernel is named vmlinuz in /boot/ and I think that you've overwritten the default kernel with the new (and broken) one. This is easily fixed using a boot cd (disk 1, actually), try searching here on LQ before we repeat ourselves =)

The general steps are:

* boot cd
* mount your slack partition
* reinstall whatever kernel should be there from packages or using good ol' cp
* chroot to your slack partition
* edit lilo to make sure it's pointing at a working kernel
* /sbin/lilo

I would like to add that if this is a learning experience and you have no critical data, this might be the time to reinstall from scratch, because while nothing is permanently broken, it's somewhat time consuming to fix and won't necessarily teach you anything new =)

Well, that's the point. It's not a critical computer. Nevertheless, if i reinstall, try to install the new kernel again with the so called manuals (i don't know how i would've done it without your posts), i will probably end up having the same problem. And i will not be fixing nor learning, which is my main concern right now. I will give the initrd some reading, see if i can understand some of the complicated ways manuals tend to put simple things into.

Wish me luck man, and thanks again, you sure know your ways around slackware.

I would recommend building the modules into your kernel - there really isn't any reason not to.

I wrote this, once, which may be of use to you: http://kaear.co.uk/default.asp?pageID=36

I don't really "support" that guide and is a little inaccurate, but might be beneficial. It's also the way I ensure that I don't loose the installed-from-distro kernel by "make install"ing from a source version and maintain 1. the kernel i've just build and 2. the kernel it's just replaced ... so lilo always has 3 kernel choices for me. A lot of the information is for first-timers, since once you've set it up, the usual rules (make oldconfig && make all && make modules_install && make install) apply and require no thought at all =)

Once you've got over these initial hurdles (we all did, at some stage or another!) you'll look back at this and think "How did I not know?" while laughing =D

Good luck!
- Piete

ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackwar.../README.initrd

This is the manual i am using to create the initrd file. I found mkinitrd on the dvd under /source/a/mkinitrd. I ran the command and it created a directory tree in /boot/mkinitrd. Now, here's the thing: how do i make the initrd for the new kernel i installed? That seems to make a new initrd for the 2.4 kernel, not the one i want to use. I already went, the part where you install the packages, at least i think so since i followed the steps in the other manuals to install the new kernel and it's modules and all that weird stuff. I guess i am missing the mkinitrd package.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i can't believe i pulled it off!!

I got the new kernel running!!!!!!!!!!!


Thanks to piete and to win32sux for all the help!!! You guys rock!!!