Re: why is kernel recompilation necessary?
Quoting Krzys Majewski (majewski@cs.ubc.ca):
> Really? So the kernel doesn't compile any hooks for itself to enable
> loading latesthardwaredevice.o as a module? -chris
Yes, it has to do that, but the installation kernel has those
hooks compiled because it uses modules itself (e.g. for network
cards, sound etc.).
BUT the installation kernels have to have built-in all the drivers
that anyone might need to get at their root filing system, plus
anything else that still needs to be compiled as built-in (because
there are people who wish to continue to use these kernels for good).
> > >Why is it that under Windows or whatever I don't have to recompile
> > >the kernel just to add a new driver? Is it a protection thing?
> > >Or an optimization thing? Or something else?
It's a "protection" thing. Protection of their secrets. Only they
can recompile from the source.
Here's one of the advantages of recompilation:
potato installation:
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1046612 Jun 7 17:57 vmlinuz-2.2.15
the kernel that I use on my nine machines, from old 486s
to 350MHz SCSI Pentiums:
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 501346 Jul 7 11:40 vmlinuz-2.2.15
Cheers,
--
Email: d.wright@open.ac.uk Tel: +44 1908 653 739 Fax: +44 1908 655 151
Snail: David Wright, Earth Science Dept., Milton Keynes, England, MK7 6AA
Disclaimer: These addresses are only for reaching me, and do not signify
official stationery. Views expressed here are either my own or plagiarised.
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