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

From: Theodore Y. Ts'o (tytso@MIT.EDU)
Date: Sat Apr 22 2000 - 11:37:35 EST


   From: Oliver Xymoron <oxymoron@waste.org>
   Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 23:25:20 -0500

   On Thu, 20 Apr 2000, Jeff Garzik wrote:

> 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.

   Ooh! What we really need is (/proc|/dev(fs)?|/var/shm)/config(.gz)?!

Actually, you don't want /usr/src/linux === currently kernel. You want
it to be /usr/src/linux === kernel that you're about to boot. So it
turns out that storing the config.gz and modversions.h, et. al, in the
kernel, isn't really all that helpful.

For example, when I bring up a new kernel, I install the kernel as
/usr/src/linux-2.3.99pre6-foo, build it, and then point /usr/src/linux
at it. I then rebuild the pcmcia, rocketport, and any other stand-alone
modules.... and then I install the whole shebang, cross my fingers, and
reboot. Note that in general it's safer to rebuild the external kernel
modules *before* you reboot, which is why storing the information in the
kernel, besides being wasteful of memory, doesn't really help.

If you're using a pre-package kernel, it's the same sort of thing;
install the kernel pacakge and repoint /usr/src/linux if necessary, then
recompile/reinstall each of the stand-alone modules, which can then use
the /usr/src/linux pointer to recompile themselves for the new kernel.
Then, when you're all set, you can reboot.

                                                - Ted

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