Re: Kernel question: initrd/cramfs

[Nenad Antonic <nenad@math.hr>]

Jean Charles <delepine@u-picardie.fr> wrote:

> There no ext2 nor ext3 modules on your initrd.img-2.4.22-pre3c0, are
> those filesystems compiled in the kernel ?

ext2 is compiled in the kernel:
CONFIG_EXT2_FS=y

	After a few days, let me summarise:
a) 2.4.21 kernel as it is in debian kernel-sources does not satisfy my
requirements (without proper ACPI support my laptop is as stable as MS
Win in the old days; old ACPI is incompatible with USB mouse, ...)
b) There are few screens of rejects if I try to apply the new ACPI patch
on kernel-sources-2.4.21 (only one thing added for -1 to -2 :-)
	A possible way out might be to first unapply debian ACPI related
patches, and then apply the new ACPI patch.

	However, I must admit that this is beyond my abilities at the moment.
To me, it is clear that there are two groups of people who configure the
kernels:
1) `ordinary users' of kernel sources, like myself, who want to change a
few parameters in order to better suit the hardware at hand
2) developpers who actually write the code.
	While I might try to write (or change) some code for a less critical
application, it appears that kernel code is not the right place to start
learning. Kernel has to be reliable.

	Apparently, there is a bug (at least from my perspective) which
prevents initrd/cramfs in stock kernels, which has been arround for
years. On the other hand, this bug gets fixed in every version of debian
kernel-sources (I know, I can get the patches, but I am not able to
grasp them). I have no idea how complicated that fix is.

	I would still appreciate the answer to my first question:
> What is the status of initrd kernel building process (only on i386),
> while using stock kernels (from kernel.org)?

so I can decide whether to wait, or change the type of kernels and the
building process I use. 

	Thanks a lot for all hints.

--- Nenad.