Help with kernel compilation

"Shashank Khanvilkar" <[email protected]> Thu, 1 May 2003 15:06:47 -0500
Newsgroups gmane.linux.redhat.axp.kernel
Organization UIC
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Hi,
I am trying to re-compile the kernel (2.4.20-9) which has come with RH =
9.0.
My previous experinces with kernel compile have not been successfull and =
I
would like to be more carefull this  time. Hence I am reading the =
document
supplied by red-hat

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-9-Manual/custom-guide/s1-cus=
tom-kernel-modularized.html

The above doicument gives various steps needed to compile the kernel.
However I don't understand the following step:

"It is recommended that the configuration of the default Red Hat Linux =
kernel be used as a starting point. To do this, copy the configuration =
file for the system's architecture from the /usr/src/linux-2.4/configs/ =
directory to /usr/src/linux-2.4/.config. If the system has more than =
four gigabytes of memory, copy the file that contains the keyword =
bigmem."

My questions are as follows:

1. I guess the .config file saves all the configuration options that we
select during make menuconfig (and friends). Am i correct?

2. I was not able to find any .config file in my source tree. However i =
was
able to find an extra directory /usr/src/linux-2.4/configs, which has
different configuration files as listed below.

kernel-2.4.20-athlon-smp.config
kernel-2.4.20-athlon.config
kernel-2.4.20-i386-BOOT.config
kernel-2.4.20-i386-smp.config
kernel-2.4.20-i386.config
kernel-2.4.20-i586-smp.config
kernel-2.4.20-i586.config
kernel-2.4.20-i686-bigmem.config
kernel-2.4.20-i686-smp.config
kernel-2.4.20-i686.config
kernel-2.4.20-x86_64-smp.config
kernel-2.4.20-x86_64.config

How do i find out which config file was used to build my current running
kernel, so that i can copy it to .config and add some more required =
modules to it.

My system is an Dell Dimension 4500 (P4 at 2 Ghz).

Any help appreciated.

Regards
Shashank
http://mia.ece.uic.edu/~papers

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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Courier New" size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"=20
size=3D3>Hi,<BR>I am trying to re-compile the kernel (2.4.20-9) which =
has come=20
with RH 9.0.<BR>My previous experinces with kernel compile have not been =

successfull and I<BR>would like to be more carefull this&nbsp; time. =
Hence I am=20
reading the document<BR>supplied by red-hat</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Courier New" size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"=20
size=3D3><BR></FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-9-Manual/custom-guid=
e/s1-custom-kernel-modularized.html">http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l=
inux/RHL-9-Manual/custom-guide/s1-custom-kernel-modularized.html</A><A=20
href=3D"http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-8.0-Manual/custom-gu=
ide/ch-custom-kernel.html"><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3></FONT></A><BR><BR><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
size=3D3>The above doicument gives various steps needed to compile the=20
kernel.<BR>However I don't understand the following=20
step:</FONT></FONT></DIV><FONT face=3D"Courier New" size=3D2><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Courier New" size=3D2></FONT><FONT face=3D"Courier =
New"=20
size=3D2></FONT><FONT face=3D"Courier New" size=3D2></FONT><BR>"It is =
recommended that=20
the configuration of the default Red Hat Linux kernel be used as a =
starting=20
point. To do this, copy the configuration file for the system's =
architecture=20
from the <TT class=3DFILENAME>/usr/src/linux-2.4/configs/</TT> directory =
to <TT=20
class=3DFILENAME>/usr/src/linux-2.4/.config</TT>. If the system has more =
than four=20
gigabytes of memory, copy the file that contains the keyword <TT=20
class=3DCOMPUTEROUTPUT>bigmem</TT>."<BR><BR>My questions are as =
follows:<BR><BR>1.=20
I guess the .config file saves all the configuration options that =
we<BR>select=20
during make menuconfig (and friends). Am i correct?<BR><BR>2. I was not =
able to=20
find any .config file in my source tree. However i was<BR>able to find =
an extra=20
directory /usr/src/linux-2.4/configs, which has<BR>different =
configuration files=20
as listed=20
below.<BR><BR>kernel-2.4.20-athlon-smp.config<BR>kernel-2.4.20-athlon.con=
fig<BR>kernel-2.4.20-i386-BOOT.config<BR>kernel-2.4.20-i386-smp.config<BR=
>kernel-2.4.20-i386.config<BR>kernel-2.4.20-i586-smp.config<BR>kernel-2.4=
.20-i586.config<BR>kernel-2.4.20-i686-bigmem.config<BR>kernel-2.4.20-i686=
-smp.config<BR>kernel-2.4.20-i686.config<BR>kernel-2.4.20-x86_64-smp.conf=
ig<BR>kernel-2.4.20-x86_64.config<BR><BR>How=20
do i find out which config file was used to build my current =
running<BR>kernel,=20
so that i can copy it to .config and add some more required modules to=20
it.<BR><BR>My system is an Dell Dimension 4500 (P4 at 2 Ghz).<BR><BR>Any =
help=20
appreciated.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Courier New" =
size=3D2></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Courier New" size=3D2>Regards<BR>Shashank<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://mia.ece.uic.edu/~papers">http://mia.ece.uic.edu/~papers</A=
><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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