Installing Linux Kernel v2.6

[TheBigBasicQ]

I am an intermediate user(home user). I am using Linux for learning. How do I install the new Linux 2.6 Kernel? I am running RedHat 9. Is there a good guide/tut?

Nobody is perfect =(
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I am nobody =D

 

[thedaver]

http://www.tldp.org/

search for "compile kernel"

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[TheBigBasicQ]

Ok, I compiled the kernel and installed all the modules. Now, the only thing i am stuck at is i cant find a init image for my 2.6 kernel. Heres my lilo.conf filerompt

timeout=50
default=DOS
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
linear

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-8
label=linux
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.20-8.img
read-only
append="hdc=ide-scsi root=LABEL=/"

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.0
label=linux2.6
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.20-8.img <-- ???
read-only
append=&quot;hdc=ide-scsi root=LABEL=/&quot;

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=DOS

I added a new option for the 2.6 kernel. But I dont know what to put the initrd= ???

Nobody is perfect =(
.
.
.
.
I am nobody =D

 

[jstreich]

That looks familiar... I have the same thing, Though I can still boot to my older kernel builds. Googling didn't tell me much....

 

[flugh]

After compiling the new kernel, you need to make a new initrd image. Try 'mkinitrd' (I don't know if Redhat has a specialized tool for this or not).

Sorry short on details, out the door in 30 seconds. Good luck!

----
JBR

 

[thedaver]

Frankly you can drop the initrd line from your 2.6 kernel init profile. It's just fluff that RH likes to leverage. You most likely do not need it. Its presence in the profile will throw off the init loader. Just delete the line, rerun lilo/grub and reboot.

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[TheBigBasicQ]

i've got Kernel 2.6 RPMs. But I am clueless as what to install first. I have around 35 RPMs =P.

Nobody is perfect =(
.
.
.
.
I am nobody =D

 

[jstreich]

RPMs aren't the way to go, you're better off using the zipped version of the code, and compile from source. It's simple to compile.
There will be an install file in the ziped source to tell you how to do it.

With RPMs the best way for someone new to linux do it is to log in as root into GNOME and use Gnome's file manager to double click the RPM. Red hat's gui tool will take over, and there you go. On the commandline, look at man rpm... you'll see the commandline switch for install is -i or something similar. I hate RPMs as RedHat doesn't like to put things were everyone else does, so alot of times it doesn't find something that is properly installed in a traditional location.

 

[stefanwagner]

Yes, yes, yes.
Avoid those rpms.
take the kernel from

http://www.linux.kernel.org

as tar.bz2 and unpack it.
Run make menuconfig.
(Don't get confused
Run make.
Run make modules_install as root.
Copy arch/i386/bzImage to /boot/bzImage-2.6.x
Copy System.map to /boot/System.map-2.6.x
fix lilo.conf (I don't have an entry 'initrd' too).
run lilo.
Have a lot of fun.

 

[TheBigBasicQ]

I've already tried the source code way. It takes a hell long to compile the kernel on my system. It took me 3hrs to compile a tiny kernel. And when i booted it up I found that i had built the kernel without h/w support for my mouse. God! that was frustrating =(. Anyway, thanx for your reply.

If i do decide to rebuild my kernel then could you please tell me how exactly to fix my lilo.conf?

Nobody is perfect =(
.
.
.
.
I am nobody =D

 

[stefanwagner]

I use to compile the new kernel without throwing the old one away.
So I have multiple bzImages in /boot:
/boot/bzImage-2.4.22
/boot/bzImage-2.6.1

According to this, there is more than one linux section in the lilo.conf file, but the difference is symetric: here bzImage-2.4.22, there bzImage-2.6.1.

If compile your kernel over and over (like me) it's a funny entertainment to have the kernel compiled, without running lilo, and wondering, why it didn't has any efffect .