How to insert a different kernel into installation media

dbeck · 05-18-2010, 03:04 PM

Hi - I would like to be able to install a kernel I built and have that available on a DVD or USB installation media from which I can boot and have my devices available.

It seems like this should be possible. If it is and there are any information about doing please let me know.

Denis Becker

disturbed1 · 05-19-2010, 02:04 AM

I'm curious to know what's missing from the installation kernel.

Adding and/or replacing the default installation boot kernel is quite trivial. I've done this to add virtiro support for KVM installations. I'll assume you already have mirrored a Slackware tree, and know how to create a bootable disc. Read README.TXT in isolinux/ if not.
Kernel images go in kernels/ Study the isolinux/ and kernels/ directories, and you'll get a feel for how things are done.

We'll call the new kernel cust. So you'll create a directory kernels/cust, and place your kernel in that directory.

You also need to modify at least isolinux/isolinux.cfg. It might be wise to edit isolinux/message.txt to drop a reminder for yourself

Bold part is what I added to isolinux/isolinux.cfg.

Code:

default huge.s
prompt 1
timeout 1200
display message.txt
F1 message.txt
F2 f2.txt
label huge.s
  kernel /kernels/huge.s/bzImage
  append initrd=initrd.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw SLACK_KERNEL=huge.s
label speakup.s
  kernel /kernels/speakup.s/bzImage
  append initrd=initrd.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw SLACK_KERNEL=speakup.s
label cust
   kernel /kernels/cust/bzImage
   append initrd=initrd.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw
SLACK_KERNEL=cust

I've only done this on a Slackware system which has the exact same tool chain as that on the installation DVD. initrd.img is the meat of the installation. Includes busybox and the other applications needed to perform installation and rescue operations. You can modify initrd.img as well, but it requires a few extra steps.

dbeck · 05-19-2010, 05:07 PM

Thanks for the information. I have a couple of Dell Poweredge servers that have the LSI internal scsi and the mpt driver doesn't work so the drivers aren't available without an initrd of some sort. To do the initrd (to my limited knowledge) requires another control and disk.

So, I was concidering creating kernel that would work and then use that on the CD/DVD instead of the ones that haven't been working straight off the DVD.

Denis...