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To access the contents, click the chapter and section titles.
Complete Idiot's Guide to Linux
Configuring the New KernelKernel compiling is done with special tools included in the Linux kernel source. You have three tools to choose from:
Config is an interactive script that asks you questions for each of the options about which it needs information to configure properly. I find an interactive program is better for this sort of exercise. Use menuconfig if you are using a shell or xconfig if you are working under X (or KDE as it is also called). To start the configuration tool, first change to the /usr/src/linux directory and enter: make toolname
Where toolname is the name of the tool you want to use. Heres the screen youll see if you use xconfig. In this window, take a look at the options included. Xconfig gives you buttons for the following configuration settings:
If you know for a fact that your system doesnt contain specific hardware, disable it in the configuration. If you arent positive, its best to leave the default setting. Limit your initial experimentation with kernel building to the general setup, networking options, sound, SCSI support and SCSI low-level drivers. Provided that you know the hardware you have, you will be able to eliminate a lot from these options and leave only those items that apply to your specific hardware. If you are unsure about an item, leave it be. (Its not a bad idea to check out the online help system if you come across something you need to know more about its what its there for!) After you have configured all your drivers, click the Save, then the Exit button. This saves a new configuration file.
Compiling the Kernel and Necessary ModulesCompiling builds binary files that your computer is able to execute. To build your new kernel, enter the following commands in a root shell. Note that these commands generate a lot of output that I have omitted: [root@digital linux]# make dep [root@digital linux]# make clean [root@digital linux]# make zImage [root@digital linux]# make modules The preceding commands (especially make zImage) will take a while. It can be anywhere from a few minutes (on a Pentium computer) to several days (on a 386 computer), depending on your choices and the speed of your hardware. If they all finish without any errors, you are ready to install your new kernel. Installing the New KernelThe newly built kernel exists in /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/zImage. Before you install it, you need to make sure that you dont overwrite the existing kernels. These are stored as /vmlinuz and in /boot/vmlinuz-2.0.35-modular (the version will depend on your installation). You dont need to move them, simply make sure that you dont overwrite them. If you do and your new kernel fails to work properly, your system might become unbootable. Copy your new kernel, with a new name, into the /boot directory: # cp /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/zImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.0.35-apm I named my new kernel for its version and added the apm (Advanced Power Management) portion so that I can distinguish it from the existing kernels. Any additional name is fine, provided you dont overwrite an existing kernel.
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