[Courses][Linux comands] customizing a 2.4 kernel

[Elwing]

I actually build a custom kernel on a very regular basis.  Debian's a 
little slow on the uptake on latest kernels (even if there's a local 
exploit in them).  We also apply the international kernel patch which 
provides for an encrypted file system - although 2.6 has this built in 
by default.  Also, if you're using a 2.4 kernel, and you want to 
use/support IPSEC and interoperate with a Windows machine - you have to 
patch it for free S/WAN  (note: don't use Debian's kernel sources for 
this - they backported the ipsec stuff from 2.6 and the free S/WAN 
patches won't work)

The next project is setting up debian 32/64 on my opteron that's 
supposed to be here today - I will be forced to compile my own kernel 
because I have to compile a 64-bit kernel on a 32-bit system (this is 
gonna be fun - anyone else done it?)

I don't think there are any systems that I run that have a kernel that I 
  (or my boyfriend) haven't manually built.

Other reasons to build your own kernel:
1) server - kernel, I/O, memory optimizations - although a lot of this 
is "settable" using sysctl now
2) the geek factor :)
3) habit - it drives me nuts not having complete control over the 
kernel, it's an old habit from my slackware days where that's what you did.

Side note: if you use Debian and want to compile your own kernel and 
make it a nice package, see 
http://myrddin.org/howto/debian-kernel-recompile.html

Laura


Mary wrote:

> On Wed, Mar 24, 2004, Carla Schroder wrote:
> 
>>2. To clean all the junk out of a stock kernel. The various distros lard their 
>>kernels with all kinds of drivers and features you'll never need
> 
> 
> Most of which are built as modules these days though, so they won't be
> loaded into memory.
> 
> 
>>3. To optimize it for your hardware. Many distros default to i386, which is 
>>rather silly for Athlon and P4 users. Plus, I've noticed that many times the 
>>architecture is wrong- on both my Red Hat and Debian systems, PIII was 
>>selected . Well both systems are Durons.
> 
> 
> I have no idea about Red Hat, but on Debian I tend to install a -k7
> kernel from the apt archives by hand.
> 
> Needing to build my own kernel is getting less and less frequent for me:
> the last time was when I needed to apply an unstable patch for a very
> new motherboard.
> 
> -Mary
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