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Re: compiling kernel 2.0.33, libc6-dev



Hi,

	The kernel is delibrately independent of any kernel related
 header files you may have installed (or that libc6 uses). It is OK to
 compile 2.0.33 on your machine.

	The newer kernel-source packages do not provide kernel-headers
 anymore, since the kernel-source package is architecture independent,
 and kernel-headers actually vary between architectures.

	May I recommend kernel-package package from misc? It has been
 designed to minimize problems during a kernel compliation. Please do
 read /usr/soc/kernel-package/README.gz for step by step instructions
 and pitfalls. I shall include the Rationale for kernel-package below

	manoj
-- 
 What to say to annoy a performance artist: "Hey, I saw something just
 like that on The Gong Show!" Matt Groening
Manoj Srivastava  <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
Key C7261095 fingerprint = CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05  CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E

		    Advantages of using make-kpkg
	            ---------- -- ----- ---------

	I have been asked several times about the advantages of using
 the kernel-package package over the traditional Linux way of hand
 compiling kernels, and I have come up with this list. This is off the
 top of my head, I'm sure to have missed points yet. Any additions
 welcomed.

     i) Convenience. I used to compile kernels manually, and it
        involved a series of steps to be taken in order;
        kernel-package was written to take all the required steps (it
        has grown beyond that now, but essentially, that is what it
        does). This is especially important to novices: make-kpkg
        takes all the steps required to compile a kernel, and
        installation of kernels is a snap.
    ii) It allows you to keep multiple version of kernel images on
        your machine with no fuss.
   iii) It has a facility for you to keep multiple flavours of the
        same kernel version on your machine (you could have a stable
        2.0.33 version, and a 2.0.33 version patched with the latest
        drivers, and not worry about contaminating the modules in
        /lib/modules)
    iv) It knows that some architectures do not have vmlinuz (using
        vmlinux instead), and other use zImage rather than bzImage,
        and calls the appropriate target, and takes care of moving the
        correct file into place.
     v) Several other kernel module packages are hooked into
        kernel-package, so one can seamlessly compile, say, pcmcia
        modules at the same time as one compiles a kernel, and be
        assured that the modules so compiled are compatible.
    vi) It enables you to use the package management system to keep
        track of the kernels created. Using make-kpkg creates a .deb
        file, and dpkg can track it for you. This facilitates the task
        of other packages that depend on the kernel packages.
   vii) It keeps track of the configuration file for each kernel image
        in /boot, which is part of the image package, and hence is
        the kernel image and the configuration file are always
        together.
  viii) It allows to create a package with the headers, or the
        sources, also as a deb file, and enables the package
        management system to keep track of those (and there are
        packages that depend on the package management system being
        aware of these packages)
    ix) Since the kernel image package is a full fledged Debian
        package, it comes with maintainer scripts, which take care of
        details like offering to make a boot disk, manipulating
        symbolic links in / so that you can make boot loader scripts
        static (just refer to the symbolic links, rather than the real
        image files; the names of the symbolic links do not change,
        but the kernel image file names change with the version)
     x) There is support for the multitudinous sub architectures that
        have blossomed under the umbrella of the m68k architecture.
    xi) There is support there for optionally applying patches to the
        kernel provided as a kernel-patch .deb file, and building a
        patched kernel auto-magically, and still retain an UN-patched
        kernel source tree


		   Disadvantages of using make-kpkg
		   ------------- -- ----- ---------

      i) This is a cookie cutter approach to compiling kernels, and
         there are people who like being close to the bare metal.
     ii) This is not how it is done in the non-Debian world. This
         flouts tradition. (It has been pointed out, though, that this
         is fast becoming Debian tradition)
    iii) It forces you to use fakeroot or sudo or super or be root to
         create a kernel image .deb file (this is not as bad as it
         used to be before fakeroot)


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