[Techtalk] the finer points of kernel customization

[Akkana Peck]

Carla Schroder writes:
> > -get new sources
> > -apply any patches

Most people won't do this, they'll just get the sources for the
kernel they want to run, no?

> > -backup config-2.4.x

Do you mean .config in the old kernel directory?
I generally do this:
  cp linux-x.y.z/.config linux-x.y.z+1/.config
  cd linux-x.y.z+1
  make oldconfig

> > -make mrproper

Do you really need to make mrproper on a freshly extracted kernel
tarball?  Why?

> > -edit the new makefile, to give it my choice of EXTRAVERSION=wotever

Of course, most people won't need this part, but it's a good idea
if you've applied patches.

> > -make oldconfig
> > -make dep
> > -make clean

Why make clean, in a freshly unpacked directory (even aside from the
fact that you just ran make mrproper on it)?

>    $make bzImage  <=== build the kernel image
> > -make modules_install 

I usually do a make modules, then a separate make modules_install.
Why?  Because everything up to the install point I do as myself
(why be root if you don't have to?)  Then I su, cp arch/blah/blah/bzImage
to /boot/vmlinuz-newkernelname, make modules_install, and edit the
bootloader.  I don't make install because I like to choose the name
for each kernel, and I like to be sure I'm not going to overwrite
an existing kernel unless I really intend to.

	...Akkana