Re: make-kpkg
On Sat, 17 May 2003 16:03:15 -0400
Mike M <linux-support@earthlink.net> wrote:
> The kernel made The Hard Way (tm) is _not_ using initrd. Therefore
> make-pkpg should work with no problems using the "magic" config.
Then why, oh why would you want to complicate things by adding an initrd to
the boot sequence? Just make-kpkg without it.
I guess it's time I asked -- do you know the reason for initrd? It's to
allow the kernel to access modules before it can read the root filesystem.
Modules needed for booting are put in the initrd image, which is read into
memory along with the kernel.
The reason for doing this is that commercial kernel packagers have no way to
know what combination of hardware/filesystems will be necessary for booting.
Will it be IDE/ext2? SCSI/Reiserfs? Some other combination? To build all the
possible options directly into the kernel would make it too big, and
including them all as modules would mean the kernel couldn't see any of them
to start. Initrd is the compromise, and it adds an additional level of
complexity in exchange for flexibility.
IMO there is no reason whatsoever to build your own kernel to use initrd.
That's part of the reason I left it out of the newbiedoc.
> I am going to run through the entire manual again with the stock config -
> adding only the --initrd option.
If by the stock config you mean the one for the kernel installed with Woody,
don't bother -- the stock Woody kernel doesn't use initrd.
> That would be a great document for LDP: GIYF Then the comment could also
> be a link to document that explains why Google is your friend. Maybe a
> Wiki instead of a document? Maybe the Zope or Python folks would host it?
Guess who I'm going to suggest get it started? <evil grin>
Kevin
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