In these "build" narrative, I am using a Linux system with kernel 2.4.21, glibc-2.3.2, gcc-3.3, and binutils-2.14.
First you need to make the three links /usr/include/asm -> /usr/src/linux/include/asm /usr/include/asm-generic -> /usr/src/linux/include/asm-generic /usr/include/linux -> /usr/src/linux/include/linux The asm-generic link was not important in the previous releases and it is a surprise to me that it is needed by 2.5 and 2.6. Then you need to make sure that you are really pointing to the correct source code tree /usr/src/linux -> /usr/src/linux-2.6.0-test1 For some reason, "make menuconfig" does not create the asm link anymore, so you have to do that manually: /usr/src/linux/include/asm -> /usr/src/linux/include/asm-i386 Then you enter the /usr/src/linux directory and do make menuconfig After many frustrating attempts at doing "make menuconfig" trying to find out the magic mix of features to include <*>, to include as modules <M>, or not to include at all < >, I was finally able to run "make bzImage" without aborting with an error. So there I was, with a brand new linux kernel image "arch/i386/boot/bzImage", which I then copied to /boot/vmlinuz. I edited /etc/lilo.conf, run lilo, and rebooted. The system rebooted, lilo loaded the kernel, and I waited at the "Now booting linux", or something like that, prompt, and nothing happened. I waited and waited and nothing happened. So I rebooted with my reliable 2.4.21, and repeated the build, this time using linux-2.5.75, since I remember Andy Sy saying that he has been successful running 2.5 for some time now. I had to repeat the whole process above, this time for 2.5.75. It was easier this time, since I already knew which features to include, to include as modules, and not to include. The build proceeded without errors. I installed the new 2.5 kernel into /boot, edited lilo.conf, run lilo, and rebooted the system. This time, the system successfully booted up. Alleluia! BUT MANY THINGS BROKE: 1. You cannot run the update daemon anymore, since there are kernel threads called "pdflush" that took care of flushing the dirty pages to disk. Maybe we should call this "fixed" and not "broken". 2. For some reason, I could not run devfsd anymore, and I am still trying to find out where my error is. Fortunately, I had the proper device file names in /dev to fall back to. 3. The old modutils do not work anymore, so you can't depmod, insmod, and modprobe properly. Your network drivers won't load, your sound support won't work too, and if you built video frame buffer support as modules, your X window will fail too. You need the new module-init-tools, available from Rusty's directory in ftp://ftp.kernel.org/. Google "module-init-tools" for URL details. Unfortunately, this new tool is not even mentioned in any README or FAQ file in the source tree. You truly get burned when you touch the bleeding edge. One good note: Disk i/o seems faster on 2.5.75 than on my old 2.4.21. I still have to read WWOL-2.6, but I am getting addicted to this 2.5.75 kernel. P~Manalastas -- Philippine Linux Users' Group (PLUG) Mailing List [EMAIL PROTECTED] (#PLUG @ irc.free.net.ph) Official Website: http://plug.linux.org.ph Searchable Archives: http://marc.free.net.ph . To leave, go to http://lists.q-linux.com/mailman/listinfo/plug . Are you a Linux newbie? To join the newbie list, go to http://lists.q-linux.com/mailman/listinfo/ph-linux-newbie
