Re: [SOLVED] Custom kernel building and mkinitrd
--- David Jardine <david@jardine.de> wrote:
> On Wed, May 25, 2005 at 11:44:49AM -0700, Ibrahim Mubarak wrote:
> > --- Marty <martyb@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> > > I think this is normally done by the command "make modules
> install"
> > > (after
> > > compiling the modules using "make modules." There is a more
> > > fundamental
> > > issue here, however, regarding custom kernels in a debian system,
> > > which I
> > > address below.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > OK. So I went ahead and downloaded the latest kernel off of
> > > kernel.org,
> > > > compiled it and installed it. Still mkinitrd doesn't output the
> > > image.
> > >
> > > I don't know anything about initrd since I always compile my own
> > > kernels
> > > and therefore it's been many years since I've used modules and
> > > experienced
> > > the headaches connected with them, but I will offer the following
> > > comment
> > > which I hope is helpful: I would advise against bypassing the
> Debian
> > > package
> > > system (including the Debian kernel build process which I think
> uses
> > > a package
> > > called make-kpkg) until you know your way around the
> distribution.
> > >
> > > The Debian kernel build process builds your custom kernels
> > > automagically and
> > > presumable avoids these problems like what you are reporting
> here.
> > > If you
> > > bypass that process then it may affect users' willingness to
> address
> > > any
> > > problems that crop up. (Unfortunately by force of habit I also
> > > bypass the
> > > make-kpkg custom kernel build process, so I won't be of much help
> to
> > > you
> > > about that package, but as a result I also avoid bring any
> resulting
> > > problems to this list, since I have brought those problems upon
> > > myself by
> > > bypassing the recommended process. I therefore can't recommend
> my
> > > own appraoch
> > > to anyone else.)
> > >
> > >
> > > > So I tried to mkinitrd of the running kernel. Still nothing. I
> am
> > > > guessing it is an initrd-tools bug. But not really sure.
> > > >
> > > > I tried the -k option to see if it does anything. And yes. The
> tmp
> > > > directory gets filled. But I don't know what to do from there
> to
> > > start
> > > > debugging.
> > > >
> > > > If you are not going to respond to this, can you at least tell
> me
> > > where
> > > > I should go with this problem? Thanks.
> > >
> > > apt-get install make-kpkg;man make-kpkg
> > >
> >
> > Well, I am not bypassing anything. I am using make-kpkg. I use this
> > guide http://newbiedoc.sourceforge.net/system/kernel-pkg.html.en
> >
> > So all is done with the "Debian" stuff. It's just that after I use
> dpkg
> > -i my_kernel_image.deb, I never get an initrd.img of the new
> installed
> > kernel in /boot. And the only symlink in / is initrd.img.old.
> Creating
> > an initrd image of the newly installed kernel is the ONLY thing I
> do
> > manually. However, /vmlinuz is updated for me.
> > It is not a driver problem either as the only driver I have to
> compile
> > is ati's graphics drivers and I do it with make-kpkg too. This is
> how I
> > do it :
> >
>
http://xoomer.virgilio.it/flavio.stanchina/debian/fglrx-installer.html
> >
> > I use the --added-modules option.
> >
> > Maybe the guide I use is outdated (can you tell me if so?) but it
> is
> > the only guide I found about compiling custom, somewhat recent,
> kernels
> > for Debian (still with 2.4 kernels :( ). I just tried a "debian
> custom
> > kernel build" google search and still nothing with any 2.6 kernels.
> I
> > tried to add a "2.6" at the end of the search string but still no
> > guides using make-kpkg.
> >
>
> Did you use the --initrd option when you compiled the kernel?
>
It's a good thing I did not file that bug report. The --initrd option
is what I was missing. I added it and the image was generated
automagically (as Marty once said) and the symlinks where all in place.
No manual stuff to do. SWEET !!!
For the record, I did not have to set the kernel option :
Block Devices -> RAM Disk Support -> Initial RAM disk (initrd)
as Phil suggested. I turned it off before the last recompile just to
see if it would work without it. And it did.
Anyways, thanks to all of you.
ib
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