Re: retrieving usable kernel source

["Eric G . Miller" <egm2@jps.net>]

On Sun, Aug 13, 2000 at 04:54:03AM -0500, John Reinke wrote:
> I've tried several ways to get the kernel source, but I've been
> unsuccessful so far. I've tried using apt-get for a few of the
> kernel-source packages, and also ftping from kernel.org, and every
> time I untar them (or bzip2), it quits early, saying there are around
> 300 bytes of garbage at the end. Some of the directories end up
> missing, so I try again. The Debian packaged ones are .bz2 files, and
> so are some at kernel.org, but I've tried good old .tar.gz files from
> kernel.org, too.

I can't imagine what the problem is here.  Somehow I doubt all those
versions are bad.  You are using 'binary' mode in ftp transfers?

$ tar Ixf linux-2.2.17.tar.bz2
  or
$ tar xzf linux-2.2.17.tar.gz
  or
$ apt-get source kernel-image-2.2.17  (or some such)
 
> The other problem is when I think I have everything (from kernel.org
> especially), and make says is has no rule for arch/i386... Unless arch
> is a directory that didn't get created from the first problem, why
> would a needed rule not exist?

Probably you haven't configured the kernel yet.  Are you aware that you
need several things to compile a kernel?  Seems you've never done this
before (that's okay).  I'd suggest using the debian kernel-package to
build them.

You'll need gcc, libc6-dev, make, bin86 (x86 arch), libncurses5-dev
(recommended) and/or tcl/tk8.x-dev, kernel-package (recommended),
fakeroot (recommended).

With the above, as a normal user in your home directory somewhere:

$ tar Ixf <kernel_source>
$ cd linux
$ make menuconfig  (requires libncurses)
$ fakeroot make-kpkg --revision 5:mykernel kernel_image
$ su
Password: ************
$ dpkg -i ../kernel-image-2.2.17*.deb
$ reboot

> So, what is the proper way to get and unpack the kernel source?
> 
> What would be a good kernel to get?
> 
> I've tried 2.2.15, 2.2.16, and 2.2.17 mainly.

2.2.17preXX is recommended due to a possible security problem with
earlier versions.

-- 
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	I think a blowpipe is a marijuana cigarrette.  
	It'll get you deleted!