HOWTO: Kernel Compilation for Newbies

[Steve1961]

Great how to. I've always wondered how to do this

[Copter]

ok, i did it. after all i must admit that it was only my fault. not linux, not ubuntu.

hour ago, before another kernel compilation, i decided to try another thing. on this thread ive found that maybe i need to add my motherboard chipset driver to /etc/modules (thanks goes to kleeman). i thought that i was only about via chips...

what i did?

sudo /etc/modules

and added there as first thing to load

atiixp

thats all. now it works on 2.6.10, 2.6.11 and 2.6.12 kernels. even on Hoary 5.04 default one.

thanks all people here, especially tseliot that did not let me down even once. your howto did not solve my problem exacly but it showed me how to compile kernel in general and forced me to read loads of documents about kernel and general linux tweaking / configuration. you are the man! thanks a lot again!!

copter :]

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[tseliot]

I'm very happy you've solved your problem. And I'm even happier you've learnt lots of things

[xodeus]

2)sudo apt-get install linux-tree (this will download kernel sources and patches for kernel 2.6.10)

NOTE:
If you want to download the sources of kernel 2.6.11 try this otherwise skip it and go to step 3:
Make sure you have all the repositories: go to http://www.ubuntuguide.org/ , find the section “How to add extra repositories?” and follow the instructions.
Then open either Synaptic or Kynaptic, press the “search” button and type “tree” (and launch the search)
Look for linux-tree-2.6.11 and select it with your mouse, select “mark for the installation”, “mark”. Then click on the “Apply” button and then select “apply” again.
Remember that the name of the file (e.g. linux-source-2.6.11.tar.bz2) will be different from the one in my examples.
i.e. for the 1st command: “sudo apt-get install linux-tree-2.6.11”

Apart from this command you will have to put “2.6.11” instead of “2.6.10” every time you see it in this HOWTO.
e.g. for this command “sudo tar --bzip2 -xvf linux-source-2.6.11.tar.bz2” (instead of “sudo tar --bzip2 -xvf linux-source-2.6.10.tar.bz2”)

Something is wrong with my installation.
When trying to install the kernel tree nothing happens in /usr/src there's nothing else than "rpm" folder. Why? Please help.

[tseliot]

Have you set all the repositories? if not go to http://www.ubuntuguide.org/ and follow the instructions,

By the way can you post the error (or whatever the output) you got after installing kernel tree?

[Skatox]

Thanks for the autor of this guide. I was planning to compile my first kernel the same day this post wad posted, and help me a lot.

For the people who have problems with splashy, is because it must run linux with 1024x768, and when you install the custom kernel, in the grub, he doesn't have the vga=792 option so edit boot/grub/grub.conf file and put vga=792 and the end of the kernel line.

This is mi example:

root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.10-custom root=/dev/hda5 ro quiet splash vga=792
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.10-custom
savedefault
boot

[tseliot]

Thanks for the autor of this guide. I was planning to compile my first kernel the same day this post wad posted, and help me a lot.

For the people who have problems with splashy, is because it must run linux with 1024x768, and when you install the custom kernel, in the grub, he doesn't have the vga=792 option so edit boot/grub/grub.conf file and put vga=792 and the end of the kernel line.

Thanks for the information.

Is there any other requirement for splashy, I mean something to be enabled during kernel compilation in order to make it work?

[Cyberkef]

Great newbie howto

I followed your howto to the letter.

Unfortunately I get an error on number 6...

...

sudo dpkg -i kernel-image-2.6.10-custom_10.00.Custom_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i kernel-headers-2.6.10-custom_10.00.Custom_i386.deb

...

This is what i get (sorry, some words are in dutch, but the important errors are in English, i hope you understand it )

cyberkef@CyberTrax2000:/usr/src$ sudo dpkg -i kernel-image-2.6.10-cyberia_10.00.Custom_i386.deb
Password:
Selecteren van voorheen niet geselecteerd pakket kernel-image-2.6.10-cyberia.
(Database inlezen ... 70192 bestanden en mappen geïnstalleerd.)
Uitpakken van kernel-image-2.6.10-cyberia (uit kernel-image-2.6.10-cyberia_10.00.Custom_i386.deb) ...
Instellen van kernel-image-2.6.10-cyberia (10.00.Custom) ...
/usr/sbin/mkinitrd: device /dev/hdc6 is not a block device
Failed to create initrd image.
dpkg: fout bij afhandelen van kernel-image-2.6.10-cyberia (--install):
subproces post-installation script gaf een foutwaarde 2 terug
Fouten gevonden tijdens behandelen van:
kernel-image-2.6.10-cyberia

I think it has something to do with the fact i switched some HDDs last month, and /dev/hdc6 is now /dev/hda6 and one variable needs to be updated. But I have no CLUE where & how to change that (i'm a newb ), can someone help me out here?

THX in advance guys

[tseliot]

Great newbie howto

I followed your howto to the letter.

Unfortunately I get an error on number 6...



This is what i get (sorry, some words are in dutch, but the important errors are in English, i hope you understand it )



I think it has something to do with the fact i switched some HDDs last month, and /dev/hdc6 is now /dev/hda6 and one variable needs to be updated. But I have no CLUE where & how to change that (i'm a newb ), can someone help me out here?

THX in advance guys

Check your /etc/fstab (and post it) in this way:
Open Terminal or Konsole and type in the command line:

sudo gedit /etc/fstab (or "sudo kate /etc/fstab" if you use KDE)

Make sure no "hdc6" is in the file. If you find it put "hda6" instead of it.

Then do (in the command line)
sudo apt-get update

And try to install the kernel again.

[Cyberkef]

Check your /etc/fstab (and post it) in this way:
Open Terminal or Konsole and type in the command line:

sudo gedit /etc/fstab (or "sudo kate /etc/fstab" if you use KDE)

Make sure no "hdc6" is in the file. If you find it put "hda6" instead of it.

Then do (in the command line)
sudo apt-get update

And try to install the kernel again.

Thank you very much!

*edit* Current Uptime: 00:04:38 running Linux 2.6.10-cyberia */edit*

Woohoo!