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Building The Kernel Source

The document provides instructions for obtaining kernel source code, building a custom kernel, and configuring the system to boot the new kernel. It recommends downloading the latest stable kernel source from kernel.org and extracting it to /usr/src. The instructions then explain how to copy the existing system configuration file, customize it using make xconfig, build the kernel with make, and install modules. It concludes by describing how to copy the new kernel image to /boot, and update lilo.conf or grub/menu.lst to enable booting the new kernel.

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Shivani Sen
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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63 views

Building The Kernel Source

The document provides instructions for obtaining kernel source code, building a custom kernel, and configuring the system to boot the new kernel. It recommends downloading the latest stable kernel source from kernel.org and extracting it to /usr/src. The instructions then explain how to copy the existing system configuration file, customize it using make xconfig, build the kernel with make, and install modules. It concludes by describing how to copy the new kernel image to /boot, and update lilo.conf or grub/menu.lst to enable booting the new kernel.

Uploaded by

Shivani Sen
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Where to get the kernel source

When you install Linux, you can specify that you want the kernel source
installed. Or you can add the kernel source later from either the Red Hat 9 CD or
from rpmfind.

Many people recommend downloading latest stable version of Linux kernel


sources, rather than using the version shipping with Red Hat, since newer
kernels support more hardware, etc. To download the latest version see The
Linux Kernel Archives at http://www.kernel.org. The latest stable version is
listed first. Then download the kernel source archive by clicking on the F (which
stands for Full source):

Then uncompress and extract the kernel source into /usr/src on your system:

cd /usr/src
bzcat linux-2.4.20.tar.bz2 | tar xvf -
Then create a symbolic link:
ln -s linux-2.4.20 linux

How to build a kernel


If this is the first time you're building a kernel on a Red Hat system, it's easiest if
you start with Red Hat's kernel sources and with the kernel configuration
template that your system was built with:
# cd /boot
# ls config*
config-2.4.20-8
# cp config-2.4.20-8 /usr/src/linux/.config
Then you can customize your kernel configuration by typing:
cd /usr/src/linux
make xconfig
After you are finished customizing the kernel, you can build it:
make dep bzImage modules modules_install

What to do after you build a kernel


Copy the resulting kernel to the /boot directory with any name you'd like for it:
cp /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/mynewkernel
If your machine is configured to boot with lilo then edit /etc/lilo.conf, and add
a reference to your new kernel. Look at other entries in /etc/lilo.conf to
determine what disk shoud be used, etc. Here is a sample of what one might add
to /etc/lilo.conf:
image=/boot/mynewkernel
label=mynewlabel
read-only
root=/dev/hda8
Then type:
lilo
If your machine is configured to boot with grub then modify
/boot/grub/menu.lst file. Here is an example of what you might add to the
/boot/grub/menu.lst file:
title Linux 2.4.20 with all my new configuration
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/mynewkernel root=/dev/hda2

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