How To Compile the new 2.6.16 kernel from kernel.org

[xpmaniac4ever]

Got this while trying to compile 2.6.17 kernel. Any ideas ?

root@hackedbox:/usr/src/linux-2.6.17# make xconfig
HOSTCC scripts/basic/fixdep
HOSTCC scripts/basic/split-include
HOSTCC scripts/basic/docproc
CHECK qt
HOSTCC scripts/kconfig/conf.o
sed < scripts/kconfig/lkc_proto.h > scripts/kconfig/lkc_defs.h 's/P(\([^,]*\),.*/#define \1 (\*\1_p)/'
HOSTCC scripts/kconfig/kconfig_load.o
HOSTCC scripts/kconfig/kxgettext.o
HOSTCC scripts/kconfig/mconf.o
SHIPPED scripts/kconfig/zconf.tab.c
SHIPPED scripts/kconfig/lex.zconf.c
SHIPPED scripts/kconfig/zconf.hash.c
HOSTCC scripts/kconfig/zconf.tab.o
/usr/bin/moc -i scripts/kconfig/qconf.h -o scripts/kconfig/qconf.moc
HOSTCXX scripts/kconfig/qconf.o
HOSTLD scripts/kconfig/qconf
scripts/kconfig/qconf arch/i386/Kconfig
qconf: cannot connect to X server
make[1]: *** [xconfig] Error 1
make: *** [xconfig] Error 2
root@hackedbox:/usr/src/linux-2.6.17#

[OPaul]

Kernel 2.6.17 is out. Does this howto apply to this new version as well ? Or could someone please modify it to reflect the changes in the new version ?
Yea, you can use this guide for 2.6.17 to. Just make sure you get the ck1 for 2.6.17, and not 2.6.16.

I was wondering about that too. My plan is to try and compile 2.6.17 + Con Kolivas' patch-2.6.17-ck1.bz2 although I have no idea what the latter does compared to Ubuntu's "native" patching. Will it be safe to assume, that I can boot a previous kernel in GRUB if something goes completely wrong?
A list of ck changes can be found on his website here, http://members.optusnet.com.au/ckolivas/kernel/ , under Description.

[cfp999]

A list of ck changes can be found on his website here, http://members.optusnet.com.au/ckolivas/kernel/ , under Description.[/QUOTE]

Thanks. Dont know how I could have missed that..

I have another question even though it is not intirely related to the guide in this thread: Does the original Ubuntu kernel use a "monolithic" or "modular" design? (hope I spelled that correct).

[kurisutofaa]

Thanks for the how-to. I just installed the new 2.6.17-kernel with your instructions. This seems to work just fine.

[cfp999]

When configuring the kernel: Is it generally a good idea to set hardware specific kernel support to "Y" rather than leave them as modules if you are sure about your own hardware?

[jeremytaylor]

Hi,
just wanted to let people know that 2.6.17 fixes problems with the cd drive not being able to mount.
jeremy

[xXx 0wn3d xXx]

Kernel Useful/Performance Tips:
Warning: Some of these tips may cause your kernel to not compile properly. Use them at you own risk.

S=Select
U=Unselect

A "/" means that it is under the directory above.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
General Setup:

S: Support for paging of anonymous memory. (swap)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Loadable Module Support:

U: Module Versioning Support
U: Source checksum for all modules
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Block Layer:

U: Large Block Devices (Uncheck all if possible)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
/IO Schedulers:

U: Anticipatory I/O Schedulers
U: Deadline I/O Schedulers
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Processor type and features:

U: Symmetric processing support (Unless your processor(s) support(s) it)
U: Generic x86 support
S: HPET Timer Support
S: Voluntary Kernel Preemption (Desktop) (Under Preemption Model)
S: Local APCI support on uniprocessors
S: IO-APCI support on uniprocessors (Under Local APCI support)
S: Off (Under High Memory support if you have under 1 gig of ram)
S: Sparse Memory (Under Memory Model, some computers will not have this option)
S: MTRR support
S: Use register arguements
S: Enable seccomp to compute untrusted bytecode
S: 1000hz (Under Timer Frequency)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
/Firmware Drivers:

U: Anything that you don't need.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Bus Options:

S: Message Signaled Interrupts (MSI and MSI-X) (PCI_MSI)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Network:

U: Anything/Everything in Amateur Radio, IrDA, and Bluetooth if you don't need it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
/Network Options:

S: Packet socket:mmapped IO
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Device Drivers/ ATA/ATAP/MFR/RLL support:

S: Use PCI DMA by Default
U: IDE Taskfile Acess
--------------------------------------------------------------------
/Raid and LVM

U: Unselect if you do not need it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
/I2O support:

U: Unselect if you do not need it. Most people do not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Network Device support: (Note: Most people do not require these options. Do not unselect them if you do)

U: EQL support
U: Universial TUN/TAP device driver support
U: FDDI Driver support
U: HIPPI driver support
U: SLIP (serial line) support
U: Traffic Support
U: Network console loggin support
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/ARCnet support:

U: Unselect if you do not require/need it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/Ethernet Support (1000 MB):

U: Uselect the cards that you don't have.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/Ethernet Support (10000 MB):

U: Unselect what you do not need.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/Token Ring Devices:

U: Unselect if you are not connected to a Token ring network.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/WAN interfaces support:

U: Unselect the some cards/the whole thing if you do not need it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ISDN subsystem:

U: ISDN support (If you do not require it)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Input device support:

U: Touchscreen interface
U Touchscreens (Under the TouchScreens subcatergory)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Character Devices:

U: Any video cards that you do not need.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/Watchdog cards:

U: Watch Dog Timer support
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Misc Devices:

U: Device driver for IBM/RSA service drivers
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Video Capture Adapters:

U: Unselect anything that you don't need.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/Radio Adapters:

U: Unselect anything that you don't need.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/Digital Video Broadcasting Devices:

U: DVB for Linux
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Graphics support:

U: Unselect any graphics cards that you don't have.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/Logo Configuration:

S: Bootup Logo (and anything under it)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
File systems:

U: Unselect any file systems that you are NOT going to use. (Minix, ROM, Quota, etc.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
/DOS/FAT/NT Filesystems:

S: NTFS write support
----------------------------------------------------------------------
/Network File Systems:

U: NFS file system support
U: NFS server support
U: NCP file system support
U: Coda file system support
U: Andrew file system support
U: Plan 9 resource sharing support
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/Partition Types:

U: Advanced partition selection
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/Native Language Support:

U: Unselect all but your native language:
S: Codepage 437 (United States. Canada), ACII (United States), NLS UTF-8 (select these for the us language)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Instrumentation Support:

U: Profiling Support
U: Kprobes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kernel Hacking:

U: Show timing information on printks
U: Magic SysRq Key
U: Kernel Hacking
U: Debug Filesustem
U: Compile the kernel with frame unwind information
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
That is it :D Hope that helps. Can I have some feedback on this ? And starting tomarrow, I will be gone for 2 weeks, so I can't update the thread.

[Centaur5]

Did you try compiling the driver from http://ipw3945.sourceforge.net and if so did you get an error? I successfully compiled and installed the ieee80211 package but when I tried to build the newest driver 1.0.5 it resulted in the following:

make -C /lib/modules/2.6.17/build M=/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5 modulesmake[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.17'
CC [M] /home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.o
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c: In function ‘ipw_send_associate’:
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:4292: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c: In function ‘ipw_bg_daemon_cmd’:/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:4765: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c: In function ‘ipw_auth_work’:
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:9381: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:9426: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c: In function ‘ipw_handle_probe_request’:
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:9496: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
make[2]: *** [/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.17'
make: *** [modules] Error 2

Let me know if you get the same result when trying to compile that driver.

[haani]

Did you try compiling the driver from http://ipw3945.sourceforge.net and if so did you get an error? I successfully compiled and installed the ieee80211 package but when I tried to build the newest driver 1.0.5 it resulted in the following:

make -C /lib/modules/2.6.17/build M=/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5 modulesmake[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.17'
CC [M] /home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.o
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c: In function ‘ipw_send_associate’:
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:4292: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c: In function ‘ipw_bg_daemon_cmd’:/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:4765: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c: In function ‘ipw_auth_work’:
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:9381: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:9426: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c: In function ‘ipw_handle_probe_request’:
/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.c:9496: error: too few arguments to function ‘ieee80211_tx_frame’
make[2]: *** [/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5/ipw3945.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/fishman/wireless/ipw3945-1.0.5] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.17'
make: *** [modules] Error 2

Let me know if you get the same result when trying to compile that driver.

same error for me aswell but when i try it with ndiswrapper using windows drivers the kernel crashes

[dcstar]

.......
Will it be safe to assume, that I can boot a previous kernel in GRUB if something goes completely wrong?
Yes, you can boot from as many kernels that you leave installed on your system.

It would be good policy to always have the latest "official" Ubuntu kernel installed, and then you may also want to have one previous (working) version of the CK kernel installed as well as the latest one you are currently playing with.

If things go bad with a current kernel, simply reboot and select one of the known good ones you have in your list - and when you are satisfied that a kernel is stable (and performs as you require) then you can remove the previous version(s).

[Centaur5]

same error for me aswell but when i try it with ndiswrapper using windows drivers the kernel crashes

That's good to know, I'm not going to try ndiswrapper then. I was wondering what sound card you have on your laptop? The reason I wanted 2.6.17 was to get the headphone jack working (which it did) but I might just have to boot 2 different kernels depending on whether I need wireless or headphones. :) I haven't had any luck finding anything else on our problem with that kernel and our wireless but I will keep looking.

[haani]

That's good to know, I'm not going to try ndiswrapper then. I was wondering what sound card you have on your laptop? The reason I wanted 2.6.17 was to get the headphone jack working (which it did) but I might just have to boot 2 different kernels depending on whether I need wireless or headphones. :) I haven't had any luck finding anything else on our problem with that kernel and our wireless but I will keep looking.

i have realtek ALC883 HD soundcard which works fine in the new kernel.

[mlind]

nice guide! I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, but you should add your
useraccount to group called "src", which allows r/w access to /usr/src folder.
This way no sudoing is required, which is better.

User must relogin, so that new settings work. This can be done just by using su on current terminal session.

su $USER


And maybe include "make oldconfig" before making xconfig.

[isotonic]

I followed this howto for the 2.6.17 kernel, stripped off the unwanted options, compiled and rebooted...

...Not only did it boot up much quicker, the whole OS is faster, particularly internet browsing!

I got rid of a ton of network and peripheral options and the new, smaller kernel is doing the business (only faster).

Probably the most useful howto i've read on this forum so far. Thanks OP!!!

Should be part of any firefox speed up howto!!! :p

[lodp]

i have realtek ALC883 HD soundcard which works fine in the new kernel.

Do you mean the 2.6.16 or the 2.6.17 one? I've got an Intel-HDA ALC883 and it didn't work with the 2.6.17 kernel (and the 2.6.15-25 one). Never tried 2.6.16 though.

I started a thread on my nasty ALC883 sound problem here: No sound w/ HDA-Intel Realtek ALC883 - tried *everything* (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=202555)

Also, wireless (ip2200) didn't work with the new kernel. didn't care to do any tinkering to get it to work, though. might have been able to.

[haani]

Do you mean the 2.6.16 or the 2.6.17 one? I've got an Intel-HDA ALC883 and it didn't work with the 2.6.17 kernel (and the 2.6.15-25 one). Never tried 2.6.16 though.

I started a thread on my nasty ALC883 sound problem here: No sound w/ HDA-Intel Realtek ALC883 - tried *everything* (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=202555)

Also, wireless (ip2200) didn't work with the new kernel. didn't care to do any tinkering to get it to work, though. might have been able to.

i mean the new kernel 2.6.17 it does work with it!!

[lodp]

i mean the new kernel 2.6.17 it does work with it!!

that's strange. i compiled the thing and it didn't change anything with regards to my sound problem -- would you care to look at the thread i pointed out above, and tell me what you think?

2.6.17 has alsa 1.0.11rc4 built into it, which supposedly supports the ALC883 chipset, so it's really strange it doesn't work.

[vseehua]

hmm... i had compiled my third kernel and all three times the wireless card stops working... any ideas? mine is a ipw2200...

tried compiling from the source gotten from sourceforge.net but that also failed... the wireless modules was working just fine in the ubuntu kernel...

[kcallis]

I just finished compiling the newest 2.6.16 kernel from kernel.org and I am getting much better performance. In what follows, I will show you how to compile and configure the latest kernel. You do not need to use the 2.6.16 kernel but it is the first kernel of the release kernel and performance patches are only made for these releases. (ex: 2.6.16, 2.6.17 NOT 2.6.16.20) Feel free to compile a kernel besides the first release cycle kernel. You do not need the patch and you can configure the kernel for maxium speed in xconfig. A tutorial to optimize the kernel you are building can be found here. (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1174954&postcount=507)

Before you begin, you will need to get a kernel
Download the 2.6.16 kernel and it's performance patch: The 2.6.16 kernel (http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/linux-2.6.16.tar.bz2)
Latest Kernel Patch (http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/ck/patches/2.6/2.6.16/2.6.16-ck12/patch-2.6.16-ck12.bz2) Don't apply the patch if you are compiling a kernel other then 2.6.16 otherwise the kernel will not compile.

Check out kernel.org for the latest stable/release canidate kernel.

1. Install needed utilities to configure the kernel



2. Now we are going to move the kernel and unpack it.



3. Now we are going to move to /usr/src



4. Now unpack it:



5. Rename the folder: ONLY needed for 2.6.16 kernel ! You don't need to do this.



6. Now we are going to remove the link to the linux directory:



7. Make a new link to the new kernel:



8. Move to the Linux directory:



9. Make yourself root:



10. Apply the performance patch: Don't use if you are not patching the 2.6.16 kernel !



11. Now we are going to import your current kernel configuration:



12. Now import it: Make sure to replace the kernel version in this following command from the one from uname -r.



13.Configure the kernel:



Here are some performance tips from this thread. (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=84174&highlight=compile+kernels)



Note: Not all the options will be the same in newer kernels.

14. Let's build the kernel: Make sure that you are in /usr/src/linux with full root access. Make sure that you are. This will build a debian file that you can install.

Now, in terminal do the following:


Note: You can replace "ck12" with anything you want. Like "k7" or "686."
15. Install the .deb fine in /usr/src. In terminal do



Now reboot and you will have a much faster system !
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

How I learned to do this:
2.6.14 Vanilla Kernel (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=84174&highlight=compile+kernels) I based my tutorial on this thread. Thank you for writing this tutorial RubenGonc !

And I also learned some stuff from this thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=85064&highlight=compile+kernel)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Troubleshooting:

Q: My Wifi Doesn't work !

A:To get wifi working, compile the new ndiswrapper from source. Follow the tutorial. (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=104539&highlight=compile+ndiswrapper+source)

Q: When I reboot I get Grub Error 22 ! WTF ???

A: You may have missed a step or messed something up. When it says Grub Loading..... press esc and you will be able to boot with another kernel. Then you should go into synaptic and uninstall the broken kernel and then reompile it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How can I get fglrx and DRI working on my new kernel ?

A: Type this in terminal:



Reboot and if that does not work, make sure fglrx is in the Driver section.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I need kernel headers for my custom kernel.

A: I updated the howto and edited the last step to build a kernel image, kernel module image, and kernel headers. Thank you to tseliot for his kernel thread because I found the command there. You can view the thread here. (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=85064&highlight=custom+compile)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I want to optimize my kernel ! What do I select ???

A: I just wrote this tutorial (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1174954&postcount=507) on how to configure your kernel for enhanced performance. I hope it (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1174954&postcount=507) helps.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Why did you write this tutorial ?
A: I wrote this tutorial to help give back to the Ubuntu community. I've had such a good expericence with ubuntu that I want to help others. This community is great :)
That was a great tutorial! I do have a question about the booting process. I am using grub to boot my various generic kernels along with booting Windows XP. Using the method above, will that impair my ability to boot in XP when necessary? If so, what can I do to make a image that will interface will interface with grub so that I can get to all of my images, including Windows XP.

[bocmaxima]

I tried this, but when I put in the first command to install the stuff I got
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
build-essential: Depends: libc6-dev but it is not going to be installed or
libc-dev
Depends: gcc (>= 4:4.0) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: g++ (>= 4:4.0) but it is not going to be installed
libqt3-mt-dev: Depends: xlibs-static-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxext-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxrandr-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: x-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libsm-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxmu-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libice-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libx11-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxt-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxrender-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxcursor-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxinerama-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxi-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libmng-dev (>= 1.0.3) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libpng12-0-dev
Depends: libjpeg62-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: zlib1g-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libfreetype6-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libc6-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libqt3-mt (= 3:3.3.4-8ubuntu5) but 3:3.3.6-1ubuntu6 is to be installed
Depends: libgl1-mesa-dev but it is not going to be installed or libgl-dev
Depends: libglu1-mesa-dev but it is not going to be installed or
libglu-dev
Depends: libxft-dev but it is not going to be installed
E: Broken packages


Somethiing wrong on my end perhaps?

[zolero]

Yeah, bocmaxima... we have some dependencies problems there.

Go in Synaptic Package Manager/Settings/Repositories and check in all the repos, then press OK --> Refresh.

Now, open a terminal and paste in this command:

$ sudo apt-get install <put here all dependancies separated by space>

After this recompile the kernel. Now it must executing well.

That's all. Cheers.

[bocmaxima]

Yeah, bocmaxima... we have some dependencies problems there.

Go in Synaptic Package Manager/Settings/Repositories and check in all the repos, then press OK --> Refresh.

Now, open a terminal and paste in this command:

$ sudo apt-get install <put here all dependancies separated by space>

After this recompile the kernel. Now it must executing well.

That's all. Cheers.

I already had all the repos checked. :( When I tried doing it one by one, it basically gave the same error.


I typed in: sudo apt-get install gcc

and got:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
that package should be filed.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
gcc: Depends: cpp (>= 4:4.0.1-3) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: gcc-4.0 (>= 4.0.1-2) but it is not going to be installed
E: Broken packages

[Blade1357]

well i have did all an well the boot screen or kernnel looks the same as be4 but in my grub i boot with ht enew kernnel but it looks the same as the old one. why?

[Centaur5]

does anyone know how to install drivers for intel ipw 3945 wireless in the new compiled kernel 2.6.17??

Just wanted to let you know that they added an updated driver yesterday on ipw3945.sourceforge.net which worked fine for me. I installed the newest ieee80211 and afterwards I was able to compile the newest driver so now my wireless is up and running again. In order to compile the driver though I did have to type "make IEEE80211_IGNORE_DUPLICATE=y" but it still went well if it tells you to do that as well.

[MrSmith]

This is my first post here so I hope I'm in the right place and all.

I have been following this thread and decided to give installing a new kernel a try. I am attempting the 2.6.17.1 kernel. So far it has been a lesson in frustration ](*,) but I am hanging in there.

The first time I tried the install all seemed to go well but it didn't work. So I deleted all the source and started over. Now when I get to the point of installing the .deb packages I get the following:

Setting up kernel-image-2.6.17.1 (k7) ...
/initrd.img does not exist. Installing from scratch, eh?
Or maybe you don't want a symbolic link here. Hmm? Lets See.
/vmlinuz does not exist. Installing from scratch, eh?
Or maybe you don't want a symbolic link here. Hmm? Lets See.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.list file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17.1
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-25-k7
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done

I don't remember these messages the first time I did the install. Are these normal or is there something I have missed or messed up?

The last attempt by the way was sort of successful. I was able to boot into the new kernel and gnome came up. Sound worked but my network connection and internet was dead. I think I must have unchecked something wrong when i was configuring the kernel.

I am going to give it one more try and only make the changes in the guide found elsewhere in the forums.

Anyway, thanks for any and all replies.

MrSmith

[bittdude]

I wanted to let everyone know that I solved my ATI driver problem and got the module to compile successfully with the vanilla kernel :) Took me a while but everything works great now.

The problem with me was there was a file missing from the kernel headers which caused the module compile to fail. The file missing is Makefile.cpu and it's supposed to be in

/usr/src/*YOUR KERNEL HEADERS*/arch/i386

For me the headers directory was "/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.16-ck12" so it should be something similar for you.

The fix is quite simple just go to that directory and type

sudo touch Makefile.cpu

Then compile the module and it should work now. I hope this helps for anyone who is having difficulty with installing the ATI Drivers.

Also thanks xXx 0wn3d xXx for the great HowTo, my system is quite a bit faster now with the new kernel :D .

[bocmaxima]

Yeah, bocmaxima... we have some dependencies problems there.

Go in Synaptic Package Manager/Settings/Repositories and check in all the repos, then press OK --> Refresh.

Now, open a terminal and paste in this command:

$ sudo apt-get install <put here all dependancies separated by space>


After trying a bunch of different things I got everything but libqt3-mt-dev to install.

I get this

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
that package should be filed.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
libqt3-mt-dev: Depends: xlibs-static-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxext-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxrandr-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: x-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libsm-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxmu-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libice-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libx11-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxt-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxrender-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxcursor-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxinerama-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxi-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libmng-dev (>= 1.0.3) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libpng12-0-dev
Depends: libjpeg62-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: zlib1g-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libfreetype6-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libqt3-mt (= 3:3.3.4-8ubuntu5) but 3:3.3.6-1ubuntu6 is to be installed
Depends: libgl1-mesa-dev but it is not going to be installed or libgl-dev
Depends: libglu1-mesa-dev but it is not going to be installed or
libglu-dev
Depends: libxft-dev but it is not going to be installed
E: Broken packages


Any suggestions? I trued installing off the Dapper CD as well as enabled everything.

No kernel for me :(

[haani]

my ATI x1400 doesnt doesnt work with new compiled kernel 2.6.17 aswell anyone able to get ATI X Series card to work with new kernel!!!

[MrSmith]

Ok, I have the 2.6.17.1 kernel installed now and it seems to be working. I managed to get the Nvidia drivers working but I'm not sure how I did it. I installed the package from the Nvidia website but that didn't work. It did however patch the kernel I believe and then I installed the nvidia-glx from the repositories and it is working. Anyway I think this is what happened.

My question now is how do I get the bootup splash screen to work again. After installing the new kernel the boot screen goes to black until the login screen comes up. For now I have "nosplash" in grub and see the text bootup. I would like to get the graphical boot splash back if possible.

I have searched the forums but haven't found anything that tells me this information.

Thanks,
MrSmith

[DDM]

For some reason, doing a "sudo apt-get install fglrx-kernel-source" doesn't work for me. I get a gzip file in /usr/src, and that's about it it seems. I tried to install them with this HOWTO: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=204910 which fails during "sudo module-assistant build,install fglrx"

Has anybody else had this problem?

[nismohasan]

just a question about patches like (archck, ck, beyond)

is it ok to use the patch against 2.6.17.3 or do i have to patch it against 2.6.17 only?

and to be more specific is it ok to use 2.6.17-beyond1.1 (http://iphitus.loudas.com/archck.php) to patch a 2.6.17.3 kernel or should i wait for them to update it again?

also, after i complile a kernal i dont see my hard disks on my desktop, if i boot into an older kernel its there, there ntfs partitions and i have enabled ntfs support. any idea why? cheers

[l0c0dantes]

Hi there, whenever I complie a kernel by follwing this guide, It will not let me mount my Second harddrive, is there something I need to do to get that to work?

[[Yatta]]

Hi there, whenever I complie a kernel by follwing this guide, It will not let me mount my Second harddrive, is there something I need to do to get that to work?
What kind of drive is ur 2nd HD?? IDE SATA what??

[AliBi]

Ok, I have the 2.6.17.1 kernel installed now and it seems to be working. I managed to get the Nvidia drivers working but I'm not sure how I did it. I installed the package from the Nvidia website but that didn't work. It did however patch the kernel I believe and then I installed the nvidia-glx from the repositories and it is working. Anyway I think this is what happened.

My question now is how do I get the bootup splash screen to work again. After installing the new kernel the boot screen goes to black until the login screen comes up. For now I have "nosplash" in grub and see the text bootup. I would like to get the graphical boot splash back if possible.

I have searched the forums but haven't found anything that tells me this information.

Thanks,
MrSmith
i have the exact same problem with the 2.6.16 kernel. first i did the tutorial and deselected in the config some stuff more what i was fairly sure i dont need. when the kernel started booting in black i tought i had made some mistakes in deselecting all that other stuff. BUT!
i recompiled the 2.6.16 kernel with the standard kernel config of my running 2.6.15-25-686 (ubuntu repository) and i ran in the same problem again. black screen till login.
one other annoying thing is, that i have to reinstall nvidia drivers and from what i have read in this theard seems to me that this wouldnt be a pleasure to do.
i think i stop here trying to get the latest kernel, i just want to get rid of some modules which i will never be using and maybe i can get some increase in perfomance there too. will see ^^

EDIT: i finished now "testing" the 2.6.15-7 kernel sources available over the repository (with ubuntu patches). same problem there black screen.
btw i see now, that i have to reinstall the nvidia drivers with every new kernel. is it possible to compile new drivers with the kernel? i can vaguely remember that it was possible with ubuntu 5.04 and 5.10.

i hope someone can help me/us with this problem. the problem with the black boot up is in every kernel i m trying to compile and still with a standard config from a perfectly runnig kernel.
some ideas what can i try next?

[[Yatta]]

I had the same problem wiht he black screen during boot up.. BUT then a few post later in this same thread.... i saw:
Originally Posted by dpicker
To get usplash you need to make sure you enable this in the config:

Graphics support:
-VGA 16-color graphics support - module (m)
-VESA VGA graphics support - build in kernel (y)

Console display driver support:
-VGA text console and Video mode selection support- build in kernel (y)
-MDA text console-module (m)
-Framebuffer Console and Framebuffer Console Rotation support-build in kernel (y)

Not sure how to change from "m" to "y" and vice versa in xconfig so I opened the .config file in gedit and checked it manually.
And it worked.....
Look through ALLL your config I removed ALOT of modules I know I would never use on this machine.

[nix4me]

I have successfully compiled the 2.6.17-3 kernel and I have one question.

What is the difference between patching the 2.6.17 and just installing the 2.6.17-3.

nix4me

[Cris987]

I followed the guide to install kernel 2.6.17, but when I boot it the following message is displayed:

"Failed to start the X server...xconf...module nvidia not found...GDM will now be disabled."

I believe this is because I had installed the latest Nvidia driver; how can i fix this? Thanks!

[tseliot]

I followed the guide to install kernel 2.6.17, but when I boot it the following message is displayed:

"Failed to start the X server...xconf...module nvidia not found...GDM will now be disabled."

I believe this is because I had installed the latest Nvidia driver; how can i fix this? Thanks!
Try this:
http://doc.gwos.org/index.php/Latest_Nvidia_Dapper#WHAT_HAPPENS_IF_YOU_CHANGE_YO UR_KERNEL_OR_IF_YOUR_KERNEL_IS_UPDATED

[Brando569]

I have successfully compiled the 2.6.17-3 kernel and I have one question.

What is the difference between patching the 2.6.17 and just installing the 2.6.17-3.

nix4me

the latter is a patched kernel, i figured that out when i tried to patch a .16-20 kernel and the patchset kept saying that so and so file had already been patched and should it continue. id say d/l the original kernel and get a patchset, or if u wanna be on the bleeding edge get the newest patched kernel with a patchset and skip over the already patched files

[Cris987]

Try this:
http://doc.gwos.org/index.php/Latest_Nvidia_Dapper#WHAT_HAPPENS_IF_YOU_CHANGE_YO UR_KERNEL_OR_IF_YOUR_KERNEL_IS_UPDATED

Thanks!

Okay, I originally installed my Nvidia by method 1, which only works with kernels available in the repositories. So I decided to just uninstall the driver. And kernel 2.6.17 works like a charm now. My question is...should I install my driver using Method 2 now - which requires the removal of "restricted modules" that are supposedly required for wireless cards (according to the site anyways) ( I'm using a wireless card) ?

[d3x7r0]

I wanted to let everyone know that I solved my ATI driver problem and got the module to compile successfully with the vanilla kernel :) Took me a while but everything works great now.

The problem with me was there was a file missing from the kernel headers which caused the module compile to fail. The file missing is Makefile.cpu and it's supposed to be in

/usr/src/*YOUR KERNEL HEADERS*/arch/i386

For me the headers directory was "/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.16-ck12" so it should be something similar for you.

The fix is quite simple just go to that directory and type

sudo touch Makefile.cpu

Then compile the module and it should work now. I hope this helps for anyone who is having difficulty with installing the ATI Drivers.

Also thanks xXx 0wn3d xXx for the great HowTo, my system is quite a bit faster now with the new kernel :D .

To me sort of works but then it gives another error:
gcc: scripts/Makefile.lib.c: Arquivo ou diretório não encontrado
gcc: sem arquivos de entrada
make[2]: ** [scripts/Makefile.lib.o] Erro 1
make[1]: ** [_module_/usr/src/modules/fglrx] Erro 2
make[1]: Saindo do diretório `/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.17.3'

Translated to english it sais that it doesn't find the file... :-?

[kimu]

I've update to kernel 2.6.16 following this guide and it's everything working well but my SATA DVD and DVD+RW are not more detected from the system.
They are under a sata controller and detected as scsi devices.
With the previous kernel they was perfetcly dected and working (still now if I reboot with kernel 2.6.15), now the DVD+RW has become a generic scsi and the DVD a not better specified volume called BACKUP.

What have I to do to make them be detected properly again? Pls, help me :confused:

If I try to mount it I got
mount: special device /dev/scd0 does not exist

Bye
Kimu

[kimu]

I've fixed my problem installing Ubuntu again (after a lot of problems that avoid me just to delete kernel 2.6.16) and compiling directly kernel 2.6.17.4.

Now everything is working well. Thanks for the guide. With the new kernel I can watch DVB-T TV with my Hauppauge HVR 1100 tv-card. :rolleyes:

[FrancoNero]

sorry for being too lazy to browse through this topic, but why can't i just install a new kernel through add/remove programs, update manager or synaptic? all this compiling stuff is part of the reasons some people are still too shy to switch to linux, i think, btw...

[ErikTheRed]

sorry for being too lazy to browse through this topic, but why can't i just install a new kernel through add/remove programs, update manager or synaptic? all this compiling stuff is part of the reasons some people are still too shy to switch to linux, i think, btw...

Synaptic provides newer kernels to some extent. For example, Dapper uses the 2.6.15 kernel, and provides minor updates to it for example 2.6.15.23 (or whatever it is these days). But they don't provide updates from 2.6.15 to say 2.6.16 or 2.6.17.

For a novice user, having the latest and greatest kernel is not going to make huge, if even noticeable, difference. Perhaps the only time a kernel upgrade is really going to be needed by the average user is when you have very new hardware in your computer.

Ultimately, the process is really not that hard, just follow the directions and after doing it a few times it becomes very easy to do. As alienating as the command line can be, it is an extremely powerful and useful tool if you know what you are doing. Also by use of kernel patchsets, my personal favorite being Beyond (http://iphitus.loudas.com/beyond.html), you can add so cool features like fbsplash.

In my opinion it is ok to have a slightly outdated kernel, even though some would argue otherwise. But it is always fun to have the choice to experiment with the cutting edge.

[FrancoNero]

coz i just read a review of the x.17 kernel and it sounded like there were lots of hardware improvements on all sides and all that so I am wondering if there's a reason to NOT upgrade to the latest kernel at all times...

but thanks for the reply

[polka]

Install the .deb fine in /usr/src. In terminal do[/COLOR]

In step 15 you say to install the .deb file in /usr/src. I realize the kernel-image is the kernel and must be installed. Could you explain the pros and cons of installing the other 2 .debs (module-image kernel-headers). I have configured kernel in regular debian and never created those other 2 .deb files. I am trying to understand how they work.

Thanks for your help

Jerry

[xXx 0wn3d xXx]

Install the .deb fine in /usr/src. In terminal do[/COLOR]

In step 15 you say to install the .deb file in /usr/src. I realize the kernel-image is the kernel and must be installed. Could you explain the pros and cons of installing the other 2 .debs (module-image kernel-headers). I have configured kernel in regular debian and never created those other 2 .deb files. I am trying to understand how they work.

Thanks for your help

Jerry
The kernel headers are can be described as this:
Kernel-headers include the C header files for the Linux kernel. The header files define structures and constants that are needed for building most standard programs. The header files are also needed for rebuilding the kernel. -linux.maruhn.com

A module image contains additional modules and puts them into an image like a kernel image. I am not going to be around that much because I do not use Ubuntu anymore :( That's the best way I can explain what module-image and kernel-headers. I hope I gave you a better understanding of what you wanted to know.

[Pasa Yildirim]

Dependencies... I cannot install lib-mt-qt3, needs libxcursor-dev.
I trued installing libxcursor-dev, needs libxfixes-dev...

at the end i get:

libxfixes-dev: Depends: libxfixes3 (= 1:3.0.1.2-0ubuntu3) but 1:4.0-0ubuntu1 is to be installed

How to get qt3 lib?:d

++ or how to get installed gtk+ for make gconfig, I couldn't find it...

Regards,
PY

[[Yatta]]

.... I am not going to be around that much because I do not use Ubuntu anymore :( That's the best way I can explain what module-image and kernel-headers. I hope I gave you a better understanding of what you wanted to know.

If you don't mind me asking what Distro will u be using now?:confused: Debian? Just wonderign still

[xXx 0wn3d xXx]

;1254845']If you don't mind me asking what Distro will u be using now?:confused: Debian? Just wonderign still

I am currently using Archlinux. I found that it meets my needs better and I feel that it is currently better then Ubuntu. That said, Ubuntu is still a fairly new Linux Distribution and has alot of potential. I am hoping to use Ubuntu when the Edgy is out, while still dualbooting with Arch. I want to thank Ubuntu for starting me out in the Linux world because I would have never made it :)

[OPaul]

Is there anyway to add the usplash after I've compiled and installed? Or am I going to have to compile again?

I guess I forget to check "VESA VGA graphics support" and "framebuffer Console Rotation support," because all I get is a black screen during bootup and shutdown.

[galactus51]

Ok Guys, very good tutorial. Really great. The compilation works fine, the system is very fast. But I'm having two problems (untill now): I can't access my USB card and my other two HDs. Ubuntu says that they're already mounted or busy.

I'm sure that I have not changed anything about USB and file systems supports. Any ideas?

I'm using kernel 2.6.17.6 .

[hil]

I suggest you put "cd .." to change dir into /usr/src after the line in the instructions

15. Install the .deb fine in /usr/src. In terminal do

I had to download madwifi driver from http://madwifi.sf.net/, compile, install, and reboot. Then it worked on my Pentium III desktop and Pentium 4 laptop. Very satisfying. Thanks to the instructions.

[mrojas73]

This ia a great how, I was able to update my kernel many times by following this guide, but since I couldn't get my broadcom 3418 card working I decided to go back to 2.2.16.

Thank you, It was fun!

[pibarnas]

Hey, your how-to is wonderful! Everyone who's intermediate in linux should read it. I came from a Slackware world and imagine we can't recompile kernels in Ubuntu. Happily I was wrong. I've followed these steps and have the last kernel.org one runnig here (2.6.17.9, I think). But something went wrong. I can't connect the network, however the correct modules were loaded on boot (weird, isn't it?). I used the ubuntu's config to compile the kernel.

When I get into gnome, I get the following message from network applet:

Erro SIOCGIFFLAGS: No such device contact your network administrator

I can ping my machine, the eth1 is up on "ifconfig -a", but, for some reason, it can't reach the gateway. When I try to ping it, the computer says the network is unreacheable...

Could someone help me with this issue?

Thank you

[xXx 0wn3d xXx]

Is there anyway to add the usplash after I've compiled and installed? Or am I going to have to compile again?

I guess I forget to check "VESA VGA graphics support" and "framebuffer Console Rotation support," because all I get is a black screen during bootup and shutdown.
1. Boot into an old kernel.

2. Remove the new kernel.

3. cd into /usr/src

4. Enable Vesa Vga graphics and boot up logo support

5. build the kernel

this way you can keep your old configuration. If anyone is haveing trouble with bcm43xx kernel module, I will post another post on how to compile and use it.

[pibarnas]

Hello, friends. I'm so glad I could put my Ubuntu box 100% working. I used this wonderful how-to and everything went well. First, I have troubles with my ethernet. So, I went to the config (make xconfig) and adapt the config to my system/hardware, excluding the things I wouldn't need. The problem with the Ethernet was an option unmarked that is referred to accept addresses by the gateway on boot...

If you are interested I could post somewhere my .config. Everything's working here, tooo faaast, mainly the internet (yep, guys, you were right about it), and I'm using Ubuntu 6.06.1 with kernel 2.6.17.9. I didn't apply any patch, but the system seems to go very well.

Thank you very much, guys!!!

[Cubiq]

Simply Amazing. I compiled kernel 2.6.17.11 with ck1 patch on a Pentium 4 prescott CPU and Ubuntu just flies! GDM on Nvidia starts in a fraction of a second, I can hardly see the ubuntu splash screen. I tried to install 686-smp kernel from the repository but it's nothing compared to this custom kernel.

Every user should recompile his/hers own kernel :) Luckly I read this thread because I was going to install Debian From Scratch or Gentoo.


PS: you souldn't need to copy .config file in the linux directory, xconfig will automatically fetch the configuration file from your latest kernel

[crypiejay]

I upgraded my kernel to the latest 2.6.17.xx and everything loads fine etc.. except when I try to run my video module installer it fails with the following:

sudo module-assistant build,install fglrx

#This is the end of the output

/bin/sh:
│ /usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.17.11/arch/ia64/scripts/toolchain-flags: No
│ such file or directory
│ /bin/sh: /usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.17.11/arch/ia64/scripts/check-gas:
│ No such file or directory
│ make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.17.11'
│
│ WARNING: Symbol version dump
│ /usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.17.11/Module.symvers
│ is missing; modules will have no dependencies and modversions.
│
│ ln: creating symbolic link `./Makefile.lib.c' to
│ `../scripts/Makefile.lib.c': File exists
│ make[2]: *** [scripts/Makefile.lib.c] Error 1
│ make[1]: *** [_module_/usr/src/modules/fglrx] Error 2


Any ideas anyone? Not sure why this is happening..](*,)

-Crypiejay
HP Pavilion dv5030 Turion 2Ghz, 2 GIG memory, ATI 200M, 200 GIG, and "working most of the time" native linux broadcom driver :redface:

[phenolholic]

Is there a way to configure the kernel after you compiled? I think I accidentially left it at 250 Hz and want it at 1000 Hz. I've done it before, its a command (i think dpkg-reconfigure) that showed the configuration menu and after I saved, it "recompiled" only the necessarry changes. Thanks in advance

[redwolf963]

This may be a little paranoid,but where is a checksum at any stage?

Not to say that I don't like things that are just too easy.
As I'm saying this,my HD is going crazy.

HMMM......no checksums of any kind seems to me to be : "Ican build into this kernel,anything I choose and,nooone will be the better for knowing it but me.

Seriously,no MD5sum,no Sha1,no checksums of any kind?

Seems kinda dangerous,even for some seasoned users.

[Cubiq]

This may be a little paranoid,but where is a checksum at any stage?

do you mean that the howto shoud include checksum checks of downloaded kernel? If so, probably you are right.

[xXx 0wn3d xXx]

Is there a way to configure the kernel after you compiled? I think I accidentially left it at 250 Hz and want it at 1000 Hz. I've done it before, its a command (i think dpkg-reconfigure) that showed the configuration menu and after I saved, it "recompiled" only the necessarry changes. Thanks in advance

1. Boot into an old kernel.

2. Remove the new kernel.

3. cd into /usr/src/linux

4. Run "sudo make xconfig" and do what you need to.

5. build the kernel

this way you can keep your old configuration.

[pibarnas]

Simply Amazing. I compiled kernel 2.6.17.11 with ck1 patch on a Pentium 4 prescott CPU and Ubuntu just flies! GDM on Nvidia starts in a fraction of a second, I can hardly see the ubuntu splash screen. I tried to install 686-smp kernel from the repository but it's nothing compared to this custom kernel.

Every user should recompile his/hers own kernel :) Luckly I read this thread because I was going to install Debian From Scratch or Gentoo.


PS: you souldn't need to copy .config file in the linux directory, xconfig will automatically fetch the configuration file from your latest kernel

Did you apply the patch on 2.6.17.11? I imagine it only be possible to do it on the 2.6.17 itself... cool.

[Cubiq]

Did you apply the patch on 2.6.17.11? I imagine it only be possible to do it on the 2.6.17 itself... cool.

yes it worked, but probably it's not suggested ;)

[mlind]

Is there a way to configure the kernel after you compiled? I think I accidentially left it at 250 Hz and want it at 1000 Hz. I've done it before, its a command (i think dpkg-reconfigure) that showed the configuration menu and after I saved, it "recompiled" only the necessarry changes. Thanks in advance

Some parameters can be configured at runtime. See man sysctl.

[rko618]

I followed this guide and compiled the 2.6.17.11 kernel (and did not apply the patch) and my computer is working beautifully much faster than before however I am having 1 problem.

When I turn my computer on I no longer see the "Ubuntu" bootup listing all the services. Instead my screen is blank until I get to the Ubuntu GDM. Everything else seems fine though. Anyone know how I can fix this?

[Cubiq]

When I turn my computer on I no longer see the "Ubuntu" bootup listing all the services. Instead my screen is blank until I get to the Ubuntu GDM. Everything else seems fine though. Anyone know how I can fix this?

in kernel check graphics support > logo configuration > bootup Logo

[ultraata]

I just finished compiling the newest 2.6.16 kernel from kernel.org and I am getting much better performance.
...

thx for good how-to!

[termite]

Just compiled the new 2.6.18 kernel. It works great, minus some DMA problems I found a workaround for...

[berserker]

Just compiled the new 2.6.18 kernel. It works great, minus some DMA problems I found a workaround for...

Would you mind explaining the problems and what you did to solve them?

Thanks.

[termite]

Sure, but it pretty complicated. Here goes:

When I installed my kernel, and rebooted, the bootup wouldn't go past 'Loading Hardware Drivers' (I think that's what it's called, the 6th item anyway). After having messed around a bit, I found that pressing ctrl-alt-F1, then ctrl-alt-F8 got me to the text version of the boot up screen. I noticed that my hda was timing out on DMA.

So, I rebooted into my old kernel, dropped to a root shell (ctrl-alt F1 at the graphical login screen, login as root. Or you could do all this with sudo), and started messing around with hdparm and /etc/hdparm.conf.

Eventually, I found that running hdparm -d1 -X udma2, then editing /etc/hdparm.conf to include /dev/hda {
mult_sect_io = 16
write_cache = off
dma = on
transfer_mode=udma2
}

and rebooting allowed me access to my new kernel. However, udma2 was still not enabled. So, now I need to type sudo hdparm -d1 -X udma2 every time I boot up. Actually, I need to type it twice. The first time it tells me that the device isn't ready for the command.

Weird, eh? If anyone has a solution, I'd appreciate it.

One more thing: if anyone has MadWifi 0.9.1 compiled from source (which you have to if you're using it with a custom kernel), note that it doesn't work with 2.6.18. You need to update to 0.9.2.

[GaryH]

Worked great except a linux-restricted-modules folder wasn't generated for the new kernel. Some of my hardware needs restricted modules. How do I regenerate the linux-restricted-modles folder when upgrading the kernel?

Much thanks,
GaryH

[abbeychase]

Got this while trying to compile 2.6.17 kernel. Any ideas ?

Were you in GNOME or whatever gui environment you use? xconfig is for those who are actually in the x environment. If you are at console I would type


make menuconfig

[AlReece45]

This tutorial worked perfectly for me with the 2.6.18.1 kernel. After compiling, restarted. X failed to start, went in, ran script to recompile nvidia drivers and ndiswrapper load them into kernel, and restarted gdm and came up perfectly.

Thanks for the tutorial.

[extremecarver]

Help: Can anybody explain me how to get rid of those messages?
Kernel 2.6.17 from Kernel.org and Beyond4 = 2.6.17.13 or so.
System Edgy EFT-
I need to take 2.6.17 because of some undervolt patches and beyond sources which are not yet available for 2.6.18

AR arch/i386/lib/lib.a
GEN .version
CHK include/linux/compile.h
UPD include/linux/compile.h
CC init/version.o
LD init/built-in.o
LD .tmp_vmlinux1
init/built-in.o: In function `try_name':
do_mounts.c:(.text+0x604): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
init/built-in.o: In function `name_to_dev_t':
(.text+0x909): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
init/built-in.o: In function `mount_block_root':
(.init.text+0xbd3): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
init/built-in.o: In function `do_header':
initramfs.c:(.init.text+0x1924): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
arch/i386/kernel/built-in.o: In function `arch_ptrace':
(.text+0x5281): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
arch/i386/kernel/built-in.o:intel_cacheinfo.c:(.text+0x9e43): more undefined references to `__stack_chk_fail' follow
make[1]: *** [.tmp_vmlinux1] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.17'
make: *** [debian/stamp-build-kernel] Error 2
root@felix-laptop:/usr/src/linux#

[OPaul]

Help: Can anybody explain me how to get rid of those messages?
I'm getting the same with 2.6.17.14 and 2.6.17.
CC init/version.o
LD init/built-in.o
LD .tmp_vmlinux1
init/built-in.o: In function `try_name':
do_mounts.c:(.text+0x4b8): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
init/built-in.o: In function `name_to_dev_t':
(.text+0x77f): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
init/built-in.o: In function `change_floppy':
(.init.text+0x8ea): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
init/built-in.o: In function `mount_block_root':
(.init.text+0xb75): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
init/built-in.o: In function `do_header':
initramfs.c:(.init.text+0x4113): undefined reference to `__stack_chk_fail'
arch/i386/kernel/built-in.o:(.text+0x46f6): more undefined references to `__stack_chk_fail' follow
make[1]: *** [.tmp_vmlinux1] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.17.14'
make: *** [debian/stamp-build-kernel] Error 2

Must be an Edgy thing, I swear this compiled fine in Dapper.

- EDIT -
Solution, http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=230606&highlight=__stack_chk_fail

[Xirkka]

Must be an Edgy thing, I swear this compiled fine in Dapper.

- EDIT -
Solution, http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=230606&highlight=__stack_chk_fail

I got same problem after I upgraded to Edgy but that solution doesn't work with this :( Or am I doing something wrong? I edited Makefile and changed CFLAG to this: HOSTCFLAGS = -fno-stack-protector -Wall -Wundef Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-trigraphs \ -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common

Edit Hehe, it look's like my problem was that I edited HOSTCFLAGS -line :oops:... Now I edited correct line and it seems to work.

[aalex77]

I'm tring to compile the new kernel downloaded from kernel.org 2.6.18.1 but i get this error
for module in /usr/src/modules/fglrx ; do \
if test -d $module; then \
(cd $module; \
if ./debian/rules KVERS="2.6.18.1-ale" KSRC="/usr/src/linux" \
KMAINT="Unknown Kernel Package Maintainer" KEMAIL="unknown@unconfigured.in.etc.kernel-pkg.conf" \
KPKG_DEST_DIR="/usr/src/linux/.." \
KPKG_MAINTAINER="Unknown Kernel Package Maintainer" \
KPKG_EXTRAV_ARG="EXTRAVERSION=.1-ale" \
ARCH="x86_64" \
KDREV="10.00.Custom" kdist_image; then \
echo "Module $module processed fine"; \
else \
echo "Module $module failed."; \
if [ "X" != "X" ]; then \
echo "Perhaps $module does not understand --rootcmd?"; \
echo "If you see messages that indicate that it is not"; \ echo "in fact being built as root, please file a bug "; \ echo "against $module."; \
fi; \
echo "Hit return to Continue"; \
read ans; \
fi; \
); \
else \
echo "Module $module does not exist"; \
echo "Hit return to Continue?"; \
fi; \
done
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/modules/fglrx'
dh_testdir
/usr/bin/make -C /usr/src/linux SUBDIRS=/usr/src/modules/fglrx modules
make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.18.1'
CC [M] /usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.o
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:233: error: ‘UTS_RELEASE’ undeclared here (not in a function)
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:447: warning: initialisation from incompatible pointer type
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c: In function ‘firegl_stub_open’:
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:570: warning: assignment discards qualifiers from pointer target type
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c: In function ‘firegl_put_user_ptr’:
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:1330: warning: cast from pointer to integer of different size
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:1330: warning: cast from pointer to integer of different size
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:1330: warning: cast from pointer to integer of different size
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:1330: warning: cast from pointer to integer of different size
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c: In function ‘__ke_unregister_ioctl32_conversion’:
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:2515: warning: ‘return’ with a value, in function returning void
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c: In function ‘__ke_vm_map’:
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:3175: error: ‘VM_SHM’ undeclared (first use in this function)
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:3175: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.c:3175: error: for each function it appears in.)
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/modules/fglrx/firegl_public.o] Error 1
make[2]: *** [_module_/usr/src/modules/fglrx] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.18.1'
make[1]: *** [build] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/fglrx'
Module /usr/src/modules/fglrx failed.
Hit return to Continue




any idea on how can i get it out??
Regards

[ajarmoniuk]

I think there is a problem with GCC 4.1 in Ubuntu Edgy. Try installing the gcc-4.0 package and then use this version to compile the kernel.

Works for me.

[Orbitr8]

Just now compiled 2.6.18.2 using gcc 4.12 + by following the instructions on page one of this thread, reinstalled the nvidia drivers, and everything works just swell on my conroe.

Actually, the first time I tried, I fluffed up something along the way, so I tried again, disabled a ton of modules and it booted fine, so I did it over with even more disabled options and drivers, etc.

My first compile.

They take 15 minutes each, and the resulting .deb file comes out to 12.3 megs.
Being a linux noob and all, how does the time and size stack up to 'normal' compilations, if there is such a thing.

Seems like it took longer to go through the modules than it did for anything else.

Compiz works fine, although I'm using a VIA board, so I can't get true NVAgp, but games play great. I get almost 200 fps in UT2004 with a 6800 XT.

happy here ~ long live the Penguin

btw. The Ubuntu experience has been awesome. The amount of information available for Ubuntu is amazing, and growing all the time.
:p

[goldenatom]

Would this be pretty much the same for the 2.6.19 kernel?

[Orbitr8]

Just now compiled 2.6.19, with basically the same step-by-step instructions from page 1 of this thread, reinstalled my nVidia video drivers, and it's up and running so far, including Beryl.

Had to reselect sound manager in a couple of programs.

If I weren't such a noob in Linux, I might be able to give some further insight to changes in gconf, but I basically went through each option and most options were already selected from the previous kernel upgrade (2.6.18.2).

I did have some issues trying to get a command line after the expected X failure , and so recompiled again, double checking all steps. It worked the second time. (or was it the third ?)

Breaks VMWare at this point, so if you're reliant on VMWare... don't do this thing yet.

~kc :cool:

[thathatman]

I compiled the 2.6.19 kernel on dapper with no problems.
In order to get fglrx support working, I had to do several things:
Change the make script to executable as described in the ati fglrx wiki.
Change every reference to config.h to autoconf.h in /usr/src/modules/fglrx/*
Move the fglrx.ko file to the right place. For some reason it installed in
/lib/modules/misc
when it should have installed to:
/lib/modules/2.6.19/misc
After that, I did a modprobe fglrx, restarted X, and i was back in business.
Let me know if anyone has any similar questions.

[happy-and-lost]

I tried compiling the 2.6.19 kernel on Edgy, but it stops dead at boot. Just sits there. Nothing. So now I'm left with 600mb of files created during the compilation in /usr/src/linux What can I do with them?

[twinszg]

Thanks m8,it works for me. Great tutorial

[muxecoid]

Compiled and installed successfully.:) :b:

[michie86]

hello.. i was wondering.. are the steps you stated are the way to "upgrade" my kernel from 2.6.15 to a 2.6.16? Coz i'm currently having problems with detecting my modem for dialup connection and somebody told me that the solution is either upgrading to ubuntu 6.10 or compiling my own 2.6.16 kernel. Is this it? I decided that maybe i'll just compile since i do not have a 6.10 cd installer. Am i on the right track? And also, the "sudo apt get build....." in the first step, that requires internet connection? Am i right? If so, how can i download the necessary files manually? since my i can't fix my dialup connection as of now. Thanks.

[ryan76]

I tried this HowTo to get DRI working and it still isn't.

make sure fglrx is in the Driver section.

What does this mean?

[muxecoid]

Something wrong. USB-disks stopped working. Looks like I disabled something important with needless-looking name. Any ideas?

[pay]

Something wrong. USB-disks stopped working. Looks like I disabled something important with needless-looking name. Any ideas?These (http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_USB_Mass_Storage_Device) are the options that you needSCSI support --->
<*> SCSI support
--- SCSI support type (disk, tape, CD-ROM)
<*> SCSI disk support
File systems --->
<*> DOS FAT fs support
<*> MSDOS fs support
< > UMSDOS: Unix-like file system on top of standard MSDOS fs
<*> VFAT (Windows-95) fs support
USB support --->
<*> Support for USB
<*> UHCI (Intel PIIX4, VIA, ...) support
<*> OHCI (Compaq, iMacs, OPTi, SiS, ALi, ...) support
<*> USB Mass Storage support

[muxecoid]

I did not enable SCSI. Why do I need SCSI for USB? :-/

[[Yatta]]

The umass(4) driver uses the SCSI subsystem to access to the USB storage devices, your USB device will be seen as a SCSI device by the system. Depending on the USB chipset on your motherboard, you only need either device uhci or device ohci, however having both in the kernel configuration file is harmless

If u look deeper enough you would have noticed ur USB HD's had a name like /dev/sdax or whatever. After it's all said and done you'll need to redo ur kernel with the SCSI system in there; basically like what Pay said.