Re: Building a Custom Kernel

[Ben Hill <ben@serosoft.com>]

On Wed, 2005-03-02 at 00:29 -0800, Eric Gaumer wrote:
> Just configure it calling which ever target you like:
> 
> o config
> o menuconfig
> o xconfig
> o gconfig
> o oldconfig
> 
> Then just run:
> 
> ]$ make-kpkg clean
> ]$ fakeroot make-kpkg --append_to_version -custom --revision=1.0 --initrd kernel-image
> 
> Although I recommend you just compile in the necessary modules to boot so can discard the
> use of the ramdisk.
> 
> It's the same process as on the x86 and there several ways to actually go about it. Make
> sure you edit yaboot and run ybin as well.

When I ran make-kpkg, I got a .deb which I installed. Unfortunatly that
didn't work and I had to boot the "old" image.

Is there a method of using the powerpc kernel patch
(kernel-patch-powerpc-2.6.8-2.6.8) to patch the kernel before building.
I was guessing that I can create the .config file from the patch package
(from the kernel-patch-powerpc-2.6.8-2.6.8/config directory, running
make powerpc and copying the .config file to the kernel source dir), but
as for the kernel-patch-powerpc-2.6.8-2.6.8/debian directory in the
patch directory - I have no idea. It has the contents:

build-files       control-official.m4  flavour-power3-smp   flavours
changelog         control.stub         flavour-power4       post-install
control           copyright            flavour-power4-smp
README.kernel-build
control-dummy.m4  examples             flavour-powerpc
README.kernel-image
control-image.m4  flavour-power3       flavour-powerpc-smp  rules

I guess I need to work out what the procedure is before the make-kpkg
command is run, i.e. how to install the kernel source and use the patch
process. I'm looking to build a direct replica of the 2.6.8-powerpc
kernel to install.

Is there a Debian way to uninstall a custom kernel and return the "old"
boot image to the "Linux" boot image.

I've been looking for howtos that document the entire procedure, but can
only find generic ones. Even the powerpc installation process only
covers the actual building of the kernel, not the obtaining and
preparing.

Thanks for your help! :-)

Cheers,

Ben