[Sussex] First kernel compile on the cards...

[Steve Williams]

Hi Gavin,

My thoughts to add to others already epressed.

On Friday 23 April 2004 22:47, Gavin Stevens wrote:
> Hi all,
> My upgrade to Debian Woody has left me with a very nice system & I'm well
> pleased with it. However, I still don't have sr_mod to do SCSI emulation
> for CD writing (sg & ide-scsi are there). So it looks like I am going have
> to download & compile a kernel & add the modules that way (I didn't add
> SCSI support when I first installed Potato 'cos I was a newbie who didn't
> realise that SCSI was needed to make an IDE CD-R work).
>

I've compiled 2.6 kernels with built-in ide cdr support and it works fine, and 
don't need to run an initrd either. The only reason I have not to use a 2.6. 
kernel is that ata raid devices seem to be a bit of a mystery under 2.6, 
whereas 2.4.25 it's cinch. So I would suggest a 2.6 kernel if you're not 
using ata raid.

> I know that I could go for a 2.6 kernel & not have to bother with SCSI
> emulation, but I'm wondering if this is a bit of a leap for various
> reasons: I note that the new kernels are quite different in some ways
> (initrd etc.). I tried a 2.4 kernel when I upgraded but couldn't get that
> to work, so it might be too much in the first instance.
>
> I'm currently running kernel 2.2.20. Does it sound sensible for me to get
> the latest 2.2 kernel (2.2.26) & compile that? My thinking is that this
> should require the minimum of alteration to my system to get working as it
> is still a 2.2 kernel. (I seriously need to burn about 3 CDs as my HDD is
> getting ever more full).
>
> I went to kernel.org & there seem to be all sorts of different bits to
> download there. For configuring (i e: adding the modules I need) &
> compiling do I need the "full source" (around 15MB)?

I suggest you apt-get the kernel sources from debian mirrors rather than use 
the vanilla kernel sources. Steve Dobson is the man to ask about debian, but 
I think it should be something like (bear in mind you may have to add a 
deb ??? unstable main line to your sources.list file to get hold of 2.6 
kernel sources) :

apt-get update

apt-get install kernel-(tree || image)

This should show you a list of what's available, then take your pick.

Otherwise I can thoroughly recommend Gentoo, but only if you've got time and 
broadband on your side.

>
> I have looked at, & will read further, the Kernel-HOWTO; but that can't
> answer these questions & it's always instructive to hear from those who
> have actually compiled a kernel.
>
> I hope these questions don't sound too daft & I would really appreciate
> any thoughts on this.
>
> Thanks,
> Gavin.
>
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