Re: Rookie Q: Building Kernel

[Brian <eith cs wisc edu>]

> I installed Linux the other day and now I am trying to get my various
> pieces of hardware working.  Namely, my sound card and modem.  Well, I

Modem should already be compiled into the kernel.  Use the control panel
to set up the right port.  Remember that com1 is cua0.

> devices.  The first thing I am told I have to do is install the kernel
> source code from the CDROM.  However, all the books I have fail to

Use glint to install the kernel source packages.  You will need to have
the CD ROM mounted as /mnt/cdrom for the glint tool to find it under
available packages (you can change this, but it's just easier to mount it
as /mnt/cdrom).  If you don't have glint installed, you can manually do a
rpm -ivh kernel_source_packages.rpm which will do the same thing glint
does.

> installed in the /usr/src/linux directory but they don't say how to
> install it there.

When you use glint to install the package, it will be in the correct directory.

> The next thing I need to do (according to my books) is run "make config"
> and answer the questions.  Well, when I run "make config" I get the
> error:  
> make: *** No rule to make target 'config'. Stop.

You need to be in /usr/src/linux in order to do make config (which means
tou need the source packages installed.)  BTW, make xconfig may be a
little easier for you to use. 

The "Official Redhat User's Manual" has a very good section on building a
kernel.  Check it out at the redhat site (or buy the boxed set and you'll
get it included).

Good luck!!

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Brian Eith                                 http://www.brian.dyn.ml.org
UW-Madison Computer Sciences               http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~eith
eith cs wisc edu                
                              Page me at:
                   http://wwp.mirabilis.com/5119370
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 Linux is user friendly.  It's just selective about who its friends are.