Re: kernel-image/debian.README; confusion over version numbers
Hi,
Ulp. I am adding the following paragraph to debian.README, it
will be in the next version of the scripts I upload. BTW, I'd be
extremely grateful for any critique on the documentation, which is
something I need to work on.
First, change the version numbers near the top of debian.rules. If
you don't, you may overwrite an installed directory, or you kernel may
not be able to find any modules. You have been warned!
For an explanation on why this editing maybe required, and/or what
version set it to, consider this. The kernel knows what version it
is, as given in the kernel Makefile as the variables VERSION,
PATCHLEVEL, and SUBLEVEL. It will look for the modules in
/lib/modules/$VERSION.$PATCHLEVEL.$SUBLEVEL. The debian scripts
think they know what the kernel version is, as given in the debian
file debian.rules as the variable v (near the top). It then proceeds
to put the modules in /lib/modules/$v. So, it is essential that the
kernel (Makefile) and the debian script (debian.rules) agree about
the version number, or the kernel will never figure out where the
debian scripts hid the modules. So change the version number in
debian.rules (v=X.X.XX) to be the same version as given in the
kernel Makefile (this will be $VERSION.$PATCHLEVEL.$SUBLEVEL).
Also, the postinst script for the kernel *Offers* to run lilo
(also offers to make a bootable floppy), but the default is [No], and
you may choose to ignore these friendly overtures by the
postinst. (It won't ever just run lilo without explicit permission,
so one should never have to remove sbin/lilo just to prevent that)
I apologise for the inconvenience, and thank you for pointing
out the documentation deficiency.
manoj
>>"Susan" == "Susan G Kleinmann" <sgk@sgk.tiac.net> writes:
Susan> Further clarification is needed in the debian.README file re:
Susan> version numbers; also, some warning is needed in that file to
Susan> tell the user what might really happen in the postinst.
Susan> The following describes what I did and where I got
Susan> confused/stuck:
Susan> The instructions in the debian.README file for the kernel-image
Susan> package (1.3.100) say:
Susan> First, change the version numbers near the top of debian.rules.
Susan> Lacking further guidance, I arbitrarily changed v (labelled
Susan> "version" in debian.rules) from 1.3.100 to 1.3.200. Also,
Susan> since the instruction in debian.REAMDE referred to more than
Susan> one version number, I also changed d from 1 to 10.
Susan> I then proceeded with
Susan> make config,
.> debian.rules kernel_image
Susan> cd ..
Susan> dpkg --unpack kernel-image-1.3.200-10.i386.deb
Susan> Before I ran
Susan> dpkg --configure kernel-image
Susan> I noticed that the postinst script would automatically rewrite
Susan> my boot sector if I had /sbin/lilo on my system, so I removed
Susan> lilo to prevent this happening. (I like to test kernels from a
Susan> secondary loader like loadlin first before letting lilo do its
Susan> thing on my system.)
Susan> Then I ran
Susan> dpkg --configure kernel-image
Susan> and copied the /vmlinuz that it made into a DOS partition that could be
Susan> booted with LOADLIN.
Susan> I then rebooted using LOADLIN with this new kernel.
Susan> The kernel booted fine, but it found no modules, and wouldn't
Susan> run modprobe, because of an inconsistency between the version
Susan> number embedded in the kernel (still 100) and the version
Susan> number I'd specified at the top of debian.rules.
Susan> I don't mind remaking the kernel to fix my current situation,
Susan> but before doing that I need some help in figuring out how to
Susan> set the version number and/or rename the package.
Susan> TIA,
Susan> Susan Kleinmann
--
"To YOU I'm an atheist; to God, I'm the Loyal Opposition." -- Woody
Allen %%
Manoj Srivastava Systems Research Programmer, Project Pilgrim,
Phone: (413) 545-3918 A143B Lederle Graduate Research Center,
Fax: (413) 545-1249 University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003
<srivasta@pilgrim.umass.edu> <URL:http://www.pilgrim.umass.edu/%7Esrivasta/>
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