HOWTO: Kernel Compilation for Newbies

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyclister

Hey man I really trying here I do not what to do :( I see that your some kind of king at this hehe.Oki I have a shity nvidia vanta 6 card stands in my device manager.
I have breezy if I check in terminal I want hoary hedhog, I have higher recetptions but might missed one step, I think not I can see many more packs now.
And I have gnome and think I want to stay with that.
1 first I want to change to Hoary how to?
Only change name but Hoary xxxx ?
I standing in the
/usr/src$ cd /usr/src/linuxsudo ln -s /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.11 /usr/src/linux

And the file do not exist :(
Standing though in /usr/src$
Trying out the next step sudo make menuconfig or xconfig
In terminal I can read "terminal no rule to create target" I have not an englisch version.And I follow everything bit by bit.
Hey man what to do?

Offtopic
Saying again your the king on compilmation matters, how did you become a master
in this?
You are surely a rare guy, take that as a compliment.

---

Thanks for the compliment but I'm not a "king" of compilation. I had to learn how to compile my kernel because my previous computer was very unfriendly to Linux. I followed Luca_linux's guide in this forum and I thought my experience could be useful to many newbies. Believe me I don't know if you can understand what what kind of problems I had to face because of hardware incompatibilities. (Fortunately I've bought a new computer that works out of the box with Linux). I don't want any newbie to get as frustrated as I got and for this reason I write my guides. I'm just a common guy who learns fast.

About your problem:

1) delete your linux folder:
sudo rm linux

then

cd /usr/src/

ls (in this way you will see the content of the folder)

See the name of the folder with the linux source (and make sure there is not a double folder, one inside the other, for example /linux-source-2.6.11/linux-source-2.6.11/) and put it when I put the word in red

sudo ln -s /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.11 linux

cd linux

ls

sudo make menuconfig

2) About Hoary: if you want to switch to Hoary (from Breezy) you will have to download a Hoary iso image and install it over Breezy.

Ok trying doing that part but I now the message command not found apear, this is very strange.
Im gonna do everything all over from the first step, to the last and first do the rm, I did take a good sleep here.So this gonna work tomorrow or so.
I only gonna take that you spelled in red?
Another thing can I have a browser up and going and my firewall when I do this, meaning in other system say windows when you upgrading something you turn off everything.
A little thing here I tried to in put the 2.6.12 kernel first when I saw the compilation, can it be a problem?
When I now trying to do a compilation of 2.6.11 instead.

Ok man how do I know if I have done my lesson and everything is runing on a compilmated kernel?
Now I get this messages: To many levels of symbolic links :?:

Btw I think stick with breezy :-P
Yeah you sure are a quick learner, I guess I gonna get this done after some ](*,)
But hey you learned all about it thats cool

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyclister

Ok trying doing that part but I now the message command not found apear, this is very strange.
Im gonna do everything all over from the first step, to the last and first do the rm, I did take a good sleep here.So this gonna work tomorrow or so.

---

Yes, I think you'd better start from scratch

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyclister

I only gonna take that you spelled in red?

---

I don't understand the question. BTW you have to follow the commands (EVERY command) as described in my guide

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyclister

Another thing can I have a browser up and going and my firewall when I do this, meaning in other system say windows when you upgrading something you turn off everything.

---

You can do whatever you want during the process. However I advise you not to use resource intensive applications such as music or video players, etc. The firewall won't cause you any problem.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyclister

A little thing here I tried to in put the 2.6.12 kernel first when I saw the compilation, can it be a problem?
When I now trying to do a compilation of 2.6.11 instead.

---

It's not a problem, you can use any kernel version. Just make sure you extract the tar(or zipped) file properly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyclister

Btw I think stick with breezy :-P
Yeah you sure are a quick learner, I guess I gonna get this done after some ](*,)
But hey you learned all about it thats cool

---

Don't you worry, compiling a new kernel is a breeze after you've managed to do it 1 time ;-)

In my usr/src I can see one linux one linux kernel 2.6.11 is I done then?
And I have also a tar "package" 2.6.12 how do I extract that rar or zip?
My "archive handler" didnt achive to extracht it.

My little question is also how do I know I reach the goal when the compilation is done?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by odin

I didnt follow what you were talking about but if you want to untar that and place it in /usr/src then just do:

tar -xvjf linux-xxxx

and then

sudo mv the_directory_created_when_untar /usr/src

hope this helps you.

---

cyclister: try this method

A little thing here do I have to restart and do the every first step in this howto evry time?
I guess I am quite long in the compilation, and I have to do every step every
time or?
Yesterday I was over to a friend all day, then I ride my bicyckle so darn hard I was all to tired.And some good tv programms and so forth.
But hey now the compilation gonna work, I mean this is a via chipset computer for god sake.So now I gonna pray to the godess of all technical matters technica I invented her to help me get some guide, sometimes her help have come sent from no where thats a promise ;-)
I must be stupid I guess many had done the compilation for light years ago :(
With your guidence and all

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyclister

A little thing here do I have to restart and do the every first step in this howto evry time?
I guess I am quite long in the compilation, and I have to do every step every
time or?
Yesterday I was over to a friend all day, then I ride my bicyckle so darn hard I was all to tired.And some good tv programms and so forth.
But hey now the compilation gonna work, I mean this is a via chipset computer for god sake.So now I gonna pray to the godess of all technical matters technica I invented her to help me get some guide, sometimes her help have come sent from no where thats a promise ;-)
I must be stupid I guess many had done the compilation for light years ago :(
With your guidence and all

---

Just to be sure:
1)delete the folder with linux source (sudo rm /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.11 or any other version)

2) delete the link to the kernel (sudo rm //usr/src/linux)

3) and start again using the advices I gave you before.

It's just a matter of copy and paste commands from the guide to the command line. Of course the time of compilation can be 45min long. You can do it ;-)

Ok man I have tar the packages I did that but now I cant menu config the thing here, trying out 2 commands. x config or


:smile:

I thought linux was a great thing with old grafic cards, hey I do not have any drivers I have look for them but cant score any, not any how does work for this fricking computer.

We do not seem to be in a top level linux kernel source directory
tree. Since we are trying to make a kernel package, that does not make
sense. Please change directory to a top level linux kernel source
directory, and try again. (If I am wrong, and this is indeed a top
level linux kernel source directory, then I have gotten sadly out of
date with current kernels, and you should upgrade kernel-package)

Ohh no I have to download a packages again or what should I do?
aaaw crap
When I trying to start with my new kernel I cant I get a black screen with some text on it, but I choose grub and start with my old.I have only done half the complimation due to my menu config problems and such

Has anyone been able to make the kernel in breezy? I treid to follow this guide and one time I got to point where it was loading x but then crashed. :( That was with kernel without any changes. Any of custom made haven't even loaded. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyclister

Ok man I have tar the packages I did that but now I cant menu config the thing here, trying out 2 commands. x config or


:smile:

I thought linux was a great thing with old grafic cards, hey I do not have any drivers I have look for them but cant score any, not any how does work for this fricking computer.

We do not seem to be in a top level linux kernel source directory
tree. Since we are trying to make a kernel package, that does not make
sense. Please change directory to a top level linux kernel source
directory, and try again. (If I am wrong, and this is indeed a top
level linux kernel source directory, then I have gotten sadly out of
date with current kernels, and you should upgrade kernel-package)

Ohh no I have to download a packages again or what should I do?
aaaw crap
When I trying to start with my new kernel I cant I get a black screen with some text on it, but I choose grub and start with my old.I have only done half the complimation due to my menu config problems and such

---

1) Ok, I don't get the problem. But can you post the results of this actions, please?

cd /usr/src/

ls (and post the results)

cd linux

ls (and post the results)

and if there is another folder inside (like linux source)

cd the_directory_inside

ls (and post the results)

2) In which folder do you do the operation (and get the error) (/usr/src, etc.)?

3) I don't know what your problem is with your graphic card.