Re: Building custom kernel based off stock debian kernel

[George Karaolides <george@karaolides.com>]

Hi Nick,

On Fri, 8 Feb 2002, Nick Jennings wrote:

>  Thanks for your reccomended reading. However, just so you know, I have
>  been building kernels for years. Actually THAT was alot easier than
>  learning how to do all this the "debian" way I think. :)
>
>  And building a kernel package seems to have been streamlined to avoid
>  problems. It's even harder to build a userspace package I think. :)

I was, too, but the "Debian way" got me completely hooked on its ease of
use and I've never looked back.   As you'll see, once you've got the
source, re-compiling and installing can be done with just two commands.

Building a kernel the Debian way:

(if you don't have the source for the version you want):

# apt-get install kernel-source-<version>
# cd /usr/src/linux
# bzcat kernel-source-<version> | tar xvf -

If you want to base the configuration on a kernel you're currently
running:

# cp -v /boot/config-<old-version> /usr/src/kernel-source-<version>/.config

Then, to build the kernel once you've got everything:

# cd /usr/src/kernel-source-<version>
# make menuconfig
# make-kpkg --revision <version><extraversion> --append_to_version \
<extraversion> kernel_image

NOTE: append_to_version is for woody; it used to be called flavor in
potato.  This is very handy.  If you use a different string for
<extraversion> every time you compile, the modules will be installed in
appropriate separate directories under /lib, even if you're re-compiling
from the same version of the source tree.  This avoids over-writing the
modules for one kernel with those for another.  Same as editing the
top-level Makefile and changing $EXTRAVERSION when you do things the old
way.

To install:

# cd /usr/src
# dpkg -i kernel-image-<version><extraversion>_<version><extraversion>_<arch>.deb

Your running kernel is installed as the backup lilo opion LinuxOLD and
your new kernel as default option Linux.

So you can re-compile with just a make-kpkg command and install with just
a dpkg command, with your running kernel as a backup lilo option.
Two-command kernel recompilation and installation...  Can't be bad, eh?
Try it and see.


Best regards,

George Karaolides