Re: installing kernel?
"0debian user" <hyperyoda2004@hotmail.com> writes:
> Hi I am running Debian unstable with kernel image 2.2.18
(! But I guess if you installed woody from a non-bf24 kernel and then
updated, you could legitimately have something this ancient.)
> 1) What kernel should I install (a 2.4.24 stable kernel or a more
> risky 2.6.0)?
I would suggest staying with the 2.4.x series until 2.6.x has proved
itself a little more; YMMV.
> 2) How does one install kernel image package in Debian? Do I have to
> move ny old modules directory away so they are not overwritten if the
> new kernel fails and I must boot the old one?
No, that shouldn't be necessary...
> 3) How does one install kernel from source in Debian? After it is
> compiled I should move the kernel image to /vmlinuz and copy over the
> System.map file to / ? I should run "lilo -v" before reboot?
You should install the kernel-package package, and use that to build
your kernel source and install it. There's a document linked to from
http://newbiedoc.sourceforge.net/ which explains how to do this; you
can also read kernel-package's documentation. But essentially, you
run make-kpkg on a configured kernel source tree, it chews on things
for a while, and eventually spits out a kernel-image .deb package.
You install that with 'dpkg --install', which deals with making sure
/vmlinuz points somewhere sane. Run 'lilo' if you need to and reboot.
> 4) What should I add to /etc/lilo.conf so it will let me select old or
> new kernel?
Should work out-of-the-box, with options to boot /vmlinuz and
/vmlinuz.old.
> 5) What is initrd and is it good to use?
It's a system where the kernel boots from a ramdisk, loads some
modules, and then goes on with life. It's useful if you don't know
what needs to be compiled into the kernel, which is particularly
important if you're building an official distribution kernel that
everyone uses. It's probably more of a pain than it's worth if you're
compiling a kernel for one specific machine.
> 6) How do I know what in the kernel config I should let the kernel
> load as modules and what should be compiled into the kernel image?
If you're not using initrd, you must compile in drivers for your root
disk and root filesystem. I'd suggest building modules for any
removable device (so if you get a new USB mumble, you don't need to
rebuild to have a driver for it), and not building modules for
non-removable devices you don't have (e.g., ISA Ethernet cards). But
building extra modules doesn't hurt, except in compile time and disk
space.
> 7) Is there a good kernel install/config guide that is tailored to
> Debian and addresses 2.4.24 or 2.6.0 kernel?
See earlier-referenced http://newbiedoc.sourceforge.net/ article.
--
David Maze dmaze@debian.org http://people.debian.org/~dmaze/
"Theoretical politics is interesting. Politicking should be illegal."
-- Abra Mitchell
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