Hi Nick, On Fri, 8 Feb 2002, Nick Jennings wrote:
> Thanks for your reccomended reading. However, just so you know, I have > been building kernels for years. Actually THAT was alot easier than > learning how to do all this the "debian" way I think. :) > > And building a kernel package seems to have been streamlined to avoid > problems. It's even harder to build a userspace package I think. :) I was, too, but the "Debian way" got me completely hooked on its ease of use and I've never looked back. As you'll see, once you've got the source, re-compiling and installing can be done with just two commands. Building a kernel the Debian way: (if you don't have the source for the version you want): # apt-get install kernel-source-<version> # cd /usr/src/linux # bzcat kernel-source-<version> | tar xvf - If you want to base the configuration on a kernel you're currently running: # cp -v /boot/config-<old-version> /usr/src/kernel-source-<version>/.config Then, to build the kernel once you've got everything: # cd /usr/src/kernel-source-<version> # make menuconfig # make-kpkg --revision <version><extraversion> --append_to_version \ <extraversion> kernel_image NOTE: append_to_version is for woody; it used to be called flavor in potato. This is very handy. If you use a different string for <extraversion> every time you compile, the modules will be installed in appropriate separate directories under /lib, even if you're re-compiling from the same version of the source tree. This avoids over-writing the modules for one kernel with those for another. Same as editing the top-level Makefile and changing $EXTRAVERSION when you do things the old way. To install: # cd /usr/src # dpkg -i kernel-image-<version><extraversion>_<version><extraversion>_<arch>.deb Your running kernel is installed as the backup lilo opion LinuxOLD and your new kernel as default option Linux. So you can re-compile with just a make-kpkg command and install with just a dpkg command, with your running kernel as a backup lilo option. Two-command kernel recompilation and installation... Can't be bad, eh? Try it and see. Best regards, George Karaolides
