Re: How to build a kernel that not require "System.map"
At Tue, 7 Oct 2025 20:56:47 +0200 Franco Martelli <martellif67@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> The Debian kernel package "linux-image-6.12.43+deb13-amd64" provides a
> "vmlinuz-6.12.43+deb13-amd64" file that not require a System.map file to
> boot, in fact the "System.map-6.12.43+deb13-amd64" file, that comes from
> the package above says:
>
> ~$ cat /boot/System.map-6.12.43+deb13-amd64
> ffffffffffffffff B The real System.map is in the
> linux-image-<version>-dbg package
>
> Which kernel symbols should I enable in "make menuconfig" in order to
> build a customized kernel image that not require System.map? I have
> always build the kernel with the command:
>
> ~/linux-source-6.12$ time make -s -j9 bindeb-pkg
>
> Is it necessary a further complex procedure to accomplish that?
>
No, "System.map" has never been needed to boot. It is just one of the
informational *outputs* from the kernel build process that are usefull when
debugging a kernel crash (panic) dump.
For production systems it is not needed and Debian packaging system just
stashes it in the kernel image debug package. The only files needed for
booting are vmlinuz and the kernel modules (the kernel installer deb pages
include a script to rebuild the init ramdisk image), and inscludes the
placeholder file for legacy reasons.
> Thanks, kind regards.
> --
> Franco Martelli
>
>
>
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