Since 2.6.39 (the last kernel I successfully built and included in my K5.3.1 remaster) a lot of things changed.
Back then I still built the cloop and aufs modules separately, whereas now (K7.4.2) I see they are kernel builtin.
It's a lot easier this way, that's true! As far as I understand, the only extra module being built is virtualbox (?).
The main point of interest for me with K7.4.2 is to activate PAE in the 32 bit kernel, so I can use 100% of 4GB RAM or more (for instance I have a few Core2 mainboards with 8GB RAM) without having to use a 64 bit Linux.
So I concocted (by trial and error) the following script, which is to be executed (as root of course) in /usr/src:
I personally tested this script and it successfully rebuilt the 32 bit kernel for me in Knoppix 7.4.2.Code:#!/bin/sh ### TEST SCRIPT - REBUILD THE KNOPPIX 7.4.2 KERNEL AFTER MODIFYING THE KERNEL CONFIGURATION. ### THE GOAL IS TO REBUILD THE 32 bit KERNEL AS DEBIAN PACKAGES WHICH CAN BE INSTALLED LATER ON. ### IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE WE AIM FOR PAE ACTIVATION IN THE KERNEL AND DEACTIVATION OF ### CPU MICROCODE UPDATE SUPPORT. ### this was the kernel building command used by Klaus K on Knoppix 6.7.1 # make CONCURRENCY_LEVEL=8 ARCH=i386 bzImage modules && rm -rf debian; CONCURRENCY_LEVEL=8 ARCH=i386 MODULE_LOC=`pwd`/../modules fakeroot make-kpkg --append-to-version=-pae --us --uc kernel_image modules_image kernel_headers kernel_source ### but the second part (make-kpkg) fails with K7.4.2 # run this script in /usr/src echo -n "extracting K7.4.2 kernel sources... " && tar -xjf linux-source-3.16.3.tar.bz2 && echo "done." echo -n "extracting virtualbox module sources... " && tar -xjf virtualbox-guest.tar.bz2 && echo "done." cd linux-source-3.16.3 echo -e "\n\n======================= make kernel clean ============================\n" make-kpkg clean echo -e "\n\n======================= make modules clean ===========================\n" make-kpkg modules_clean # copy original Knoppix 7.4.2 kernel config here echo -e "\n\n=============== get original K742 kernel config ======================\n" cp -fpv /boot/config-3.16.3 ./.config # change to "EXTRAVERSION = -pae" in Makefile echo -e "\n\n=========== set custom kernel EXTRAVERSION in Makefile ===============\n" sed -i -e "s/^EXTRAVERSION \=.*$/EXTRAVERSION = -pae/" Makefile # modify kernel configuration manually: activate PAE and deactivate CPU microcode support. # in the config menu set the following: # Processor type and features: # Processor family (Pentium-4/Celeron(P4-based)/Pentium-4 M/older Xeon) ---> # < > CPU microcode loading support # High Memory Support (64GB) ---> # the first and third setting above will automatically give the next one: # -*- PAE (Physical Address Extension) Support make oldconfig menuconfig # now let's do the actual recompilation: # make CONCURRENCY_LEVEL=8 ARCH=i386 oldconfig bzImage modules # this works but then make-kpkg fails make CONCURRENCY_LEVEL=8 ARCH=i386 oldconfig bzImage deb-pkg # THIS WORKED!!! # now we should have the kernel .deb packages rebuilt in /usr/src exit 0
I mean it generated 4 debian packages which can be installed anytime beside the already existing 2 kernels in K742, or replace the original 32 bit kernel shipped with the K742 DVD.
Then I also tested it (without remastering anything): I unpacked the minirt.gz and modified the /init script so it unpacks the "linux-image-3.16.3-pae_3.16.3-pae-1_i386.deb" in /UNIONFS/ right before /sbin/init is executed.Code:linux-firmware-image-3.16.3-pae_3.16.3-pae-1_i386.deb linux-headers-3.16.3-pae_3.16.3-pae-1_i386.deb linux-image-3.16.3-pae_3.16.3-pae-1_i386.deb linux-libc-dev_3.16.3-pae-1_i386.deb
I named the new miniroot "minirt-pae.gz". And of course I added an extra entry to isolinux.cfg:
And I actually started Knoppix 7.4.2 with a PAE-enabled 3.16.3 kernel, rebuilt from the sources shipped with the original K7.4.2 DVD !!Code:LABEL knoppix-pae KERNEL vmlinuz-3.16.3-pae APPEND lang=en apm=power-off initrd=minirt-pae.gz nomce libata.force=noncq hpsa.hpsa_allow_any=1 loglevel=1 no3d alsa
As far as I can tell, everything works fine.
What I would like though is somebody else's opinion (I don't know if Klaus Knopper will have the time for this) who has some recent experience with kernel building.
What do you think? Is this method OK according to the current books or not?
Did I miss anything? Did I do anthing wrong?
And another thing: the "linux-source-3.16.3.tar.bz2" archive shipped with the DVD, is that the kernel source AFTER the K7.4.2 kernel compilation (and then make cleaned), or BEFORE (the original Debian packaged kernel)?
I would think it's the kernel source before compilation but I don't really know. I guess Klaus only can answer that...
A-Tech 8GB DDR3 1600 PC3-12800 Laptop SODIMM 204-Pin Memory RAM PC3L DDR3L 1x 8G
$13.99
Samsung 16GB 2Rx4 PC4-2133P DDR4-17000 1.2V RDIMM ECC Registered Server Memory
$16.29
HyperX FURY DDR3 8GB 16GB 32GB 1600 MHz PC3-12800 Desktop RAM Memory DIMM 240pin
$12.90
A-Tech 8GB PC3-12800 Desktop DDR3 1600 MHz Non ECC 240-Pin DIMM Memory RAM 1x 8G
$13.99
8GB PC3L-12800S 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 RAM | Grade A
$12.00
Kingston HyperX FURY DDR3 8GB 16GB 32G 1600 1866 1333 Desktop Memory RAM DIMM
$13.25
A-Tech 16GB 2 x 8GB PC3-12800 Laptop SODIMM DDR3 1600 Memory RAM PC3L 16G DDR3L
$27.98
32GB (4X8GB) DDR3 PC3-12800 1600 NON ECC LOW DENSITY MEMORY F3-12800CL10Q-32GBXL
$32.00
A-Tech 256GB 4x 64GB 4Rx4 PC4-19200 ECC Load Reduced LRDIMM Server Memory RAM
$287.96
A-Tech 64GB 4x 16GB 2Rx4 PC4-17000R DDR4 2133MHz ECC REG RDIMM Server Memory RAM
$87.96