Compiling the Linux Kernel on Redhat 7.1

cnhawk386

               
Compiling the Linux Kernel on Redhat 7.1
This page describes how to install the latest Linux version 2.4 kernel
on Redhat 7.1.  In particular, it describes how to compile the official
kernel sources with Redhat's default configuration.
Motivation
It can be quite tricky for a typical Linux user to configure the official
linux kernel source from
www.kernel.org
to work with Redhat.  For example, I once compiled a kernel that didn't
work with my sound card.
The best way to avoid such headaches is to get the kernel source config file
from the Redhat source RPM, and to use this config with the official kernel
source from
kernel.org
.
The following instructions outline how this can be done.  I suggest
using this guide as a supplement to the usual documentation, not
as a replacement.

Download the Sources

• 
  Download latest stable kernel source from
  kernel.org
  .
  Don't try to compile the same version that you are already using unless
  you know what you are doing, or you risk messing up your kernel modules.
  You can figure out what kernel you are already running with
  $ uname -r
  
• 
  Unpack the sources.  Older versions had to be unpacked in /usr/src, but
  now days you are probably better off compiling the source in your own home
  directory logged in as a normal user.
  $ tar xzf linux-2.4.3.tar.gz
  
• 
  You can get the config files from the kernel source RPM.  Unfortunately,
  this implies installing over 100 MB of kernel source just to get a single
  30 kB file.  Be aware that there are two different source RPMs, i.e.
  kernel-xxx.xxx.srpm and kernel-source.xxx.xxx.rpm.  Once you
  have these files, it is probably possible to uninstall the source RPM
  to save disk space.  To save you the time and hassle, here are the
  config
  files for kernel 2.4.2, as shipped
  with the Redhat 7.1 source RPM.
  $ tar xzf configs.tar.gz
  

Configure

• 
  In top directory of your kernel source from kernel.org, run
  $ make mrproper
  
• 
  Copy the most appropriate config file for your system into .config in
  the top directory of the kernel source.
  $ cp configs/kernel-2.4.2-i586.config linux-2.4.3/.config
  
• 
  Your config file is for an older version of the kernel, and so must
  be updated.  The following command will only ask questions about new
  features.  Most of the time you can safely leave out these new features
  unless they specifically interest you.
  $ make oldconfig
  
• 
  As configured, your kernel and modules will support a huge variety of
  hardware and features that you don't need.
  You might want to turn off some of things to speed up the compile
  and save disk space.  Or you may want to enable some feature that
  was turned off in the default.  To do so, run
  $ make xconfig
  
• 
  Make a backup copy of .config.
  $ cp .config ~/backup-kernel-config
  

Compile the kernel and modules

• 
  This part is easy.  You'll have plenty of time to go get a cup of
  coffee....
  $ make dep
  $ make bzImage
  $ make modules
  

Install your new kernel

• 
  Up to now, you have hopefully been logged in as a normal user.  Now you'll
  need to become root.
  $ su
  
• 
  Copy the kernel into its final destination.  Don't overwrite your
  working kernel!!!
  # cp ~user/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.3
  
• 
  Install the modules.
  # make modules_install
  
• 
  Edit /etc/lilo.conf so that you can boot the new kernel.   Don't
  take out the lines for your working kernel until you have booted the
  new one!!!  In the following example, you'll probably have to
  change the location of the root partition.
  image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.3
          label=linux-2.4.3
          read-only
          root=/dev/hdc2
  
• 
  Run lilo
  # /sbin/lilo
  
• 
  If you want a rescue disk, do
  $ make bzdisk
  

Try it out.
Now you can reboot your system and choose the new kernel at the lilo prompt.
If everything works, you can run "make mrproper" in the source directory or
delete it entirely to make space.  Delete the old kernel if you're absolutely
certain you won't be needing it, updating /etc/lilo.conf as appropriate.
In this HOWTO/Tutorial, we are going to describe how to compile your kernel in a one of the most famous
[color="blue"]linux distributions
(also called distros).
Kernel compilation is a process that is a bit difficult for a new user,
but we will try to make it as simple as possible here :-)
Linux Distribution: Slackware
  Version:
10.2
Default Kernel Version: 2.4.31
We chose Slackware which has quite a reputation for making things more complicated but it is a clean, clear cut distribution.
REQUIREMENTS-----------------------------------------------------------
  Knowledge of our: Graphics card and its Chipset
  Knowledge of our:
[color="blue"]Motherboard
and its Chipset (Sis,Intel,Nforce-nvidia,Via are the most usual )
Knowledge of our: CPU and its Architecture
Knowledge of our:
[color="blue"]Network Card
and its Chipset
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--> The procedure is basically the same but with some differences, in other distros...
Let's begin with the reasons why you would want to compile a new kernel in the first place.

[color="blue"]Security patches

Installation of a new hardware device.

Compatibility with some services since most of them cannot "run" without 2.6.* kernel. A great example would be HAL features.

Greater speed with the reiserfs file system
=> This tends to mean that operations which touch many files in a
directory tree are much faster if that tree was created under a 2.6
kernel. Reiserfs. ..
Hint: At the console command prompt:

• $ indicates ordinary Linux user shell
• # indicates the root user
  

If you don't have  Lynx (a text console based
[color="blue"]internet
browser), you can also install from the GUI environment (graphics user
interface) but you will need to reboot. Simply open a command console
window.
We are now inside the shell, logged in as root (super user) :
# lynx
This will execute lynx which opens with a screen of help files. Simply enter g which tells lynx we want enter a URL. Lynx should now respond with URL to open:. Now enter www.kernel.org and press enter.
After a few seconds the page should have loaded and at the top of
the page should be in red, the first available link for this page, Latest Linux Kernel Version RSS.
Other links on the page will be in blue. If you press the down arrow,
it will forward to the next link on the page which will be selected
(i.e. becomes red). Keep on forwarding with the down arrow key (you can
also go back with the up arrow), until you come to a paragraph that
begins with The latest stable version of the
[color="blue"]Linux kernel
is:
followed by the version number which in our case was 2.6.22.1. To the
right of this is the date and time and then a series of single
character letters.

Press the down arrow button until you reach the F. F indicates Full Source.
With the F character
selected,  press enter. Lynx will now prompt you whether to D)ownload or C)ancel the file. Press D in order to download the new kernel.
And now, we  simply wait for the new kernel to download.
  
  ...................................
When the download is complete, go to the "save to disk" option and press enter. You will be prompted to Enter a filename for downloaded file which should have the file's original name as default. Simply press enter here leaving the filename as is.
We have now downloaded the kernel and no longer need lynx, so press q to quit and y to confirm.
So, where is our file. If you enter pwd at the command prompt and ls -l, it should tell you the current directory and its contents.
debian:~# pwd
  /root
  debian:~# ls -l
  total 44108
  -rw-r--r--  1 root root      173 2006-07-18 08:02 dbootstrap_settings
  -rw-r--r--  1 root root     1336 2006-07-18 08:02 install-report.template
  -rw-r--r--  1 root root 45106835 2007-07-21 05:21 linux-2.6.22.1.tar.bz2
  debian:~#
Now enter the following commands:
# mv -v *.bz2 /usr/src/    `linux-2.6.19.tar.bz2'  `/usr/src/linux-2.6.19.tar.bz2'
# cd /usr/src   
And now that we are in the kernel directory, we uncompress  our new  kernel...
# tar -xjvf linux-2.6.19.tar.bz2
# cd linux-2.6.19  
# make mrproper
# make menuconfig
Here, we should explain a few things.
You will see a
menu with plenty of options where you choose the setup of the new
kernel. There are plenty of options so we have to be careful.
IMPORTANT: We definitely have to include support for all the right filesystems,  the
[color="blue"]motherboard chipset
(remember the requirements), and on the right controllers without being paranoid about
[color="blue"]security
level.
IMPORTANT: If you see something you don't
understand, the best thing to do is to search for it on google. You
might need it, then again you might not. It's your decision ;-)
Unfortunately, when a new version of the kernel is released,
compilation becomes a bit more difficult because of the increase in the
new
[color="blue"]features  added
every time. So be careful with your options....
When you see an M in  brackets, then the option is included as a   module, when you see an * (asterisk) , it is embedded.
  When you have finished with the configuration of your kernel,  exit using the ESC (Escape) key,
  saving
  the  new kernel configuration.
Now we are ready to build the kernel.
# make
  ...............................  
Now waiting until the compilation of the new kernel is completed..
then build the modules...
# make modules
...install the modules...  
# make modules_install
    # clear
# cd arch/i386/boot
  # cp bzImage /boot/
# cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-custom-test
Now, we make  a backup of the previous functioning kernel, and then we  edit  the /etc/lilo.conf
  # vim /etc/lilo.conf
You should now see  something like this:
# Linux bootable partition config begins
  image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/hda1
  label = Slack
  read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
  # Linux bootable partition config ends
We change the last line in ==>
  
  # Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-custom-test ===>  Our new kernel 2.16.*
  Prompt
  root = /dev/hda1
  timeout=1200
  label = Slack
  read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
image = /boot/vmlinuz ===> Our previous kernel which we keep for backup.
  Prompt
  timeout=1200
  root = /dev/hda1
  label = SlackOld
  read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
  # Linux bootable partition config ends
Vim is a text editor. By pressing the button insert
(Command -> Input), we can make our changes to the file. When we
finish our editing, we press ESC (Escape) and enter :wq (note the colon, it must be entered to go into command mode) and  enter to save and quit.
If you don't want to save the file for any reason, press :q! which closes the file without saving any changes.     [ The letter w = write  q = quit ]
And  finally,  our last command ...
# lilo
# reboot
and happy Slacking :-)
               
               
               
               
               

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