Re: PROBLEM: kernel 2.3.99-pre5 does not compile without system-wide kernel headers

From: Jeff Garzik (jgarzik@mandrakesoft.com)
Date: Thu Apr 20 2000 - 14:32:25 EST


"Theodore Y. Ts'o" wrote:
> From: Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@mandrakesoft.com>
> 1) You need headers in /usr/include/linux. For 2.3.x/2.4.x kernels it
> is generally assumed that the systemwide /usr/include/linux should be
> upgraded independently of the kernel includes.

> .... except if you want to build stand-alone kernel modules that work
> against the kernel that you are currently booting.

Even though the distro default is /usr/src/linux == currently running
kernel, that rule is so frequently violated I adocate simply requiring a
pointer to the kernel headers. Even if you are currently running the
kernel whose sources are in /usr/src/linux, that might not be the best
version choice for the module being built.

> My personal nomination of the standard way to do things is to assume
> that /usr/src/linux is a symlink to kernel sources corresponding to the
> default kernel being booted on that machine, and that stand-alone device
> drivers that need to compile against a kernel should default to
> /usr/src/linux, but there should be an easy way for users to override
> that and specify some other kernel source tree if necessary. Any
> objections to such an approach?

Seems sane to me, with the statement of preference above :) Does the
recently-updated filesystem standard have anything to say on the
subject?

FWIW, the coming-very-soon Linux-Mandrake 7.1 beta will include a system
service "kheader", which is run at boot time to make sure that the
kernel source/include symlinks are correct for the kernel version
currently running.

        Jeff

-- 
Jeff Garzik              | Nothing cures insomnia like the
Building 1024            | realization that it's time to get up.
MandrakeSoft, Inc.       |        -- random fortune

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