DistroWatch includes a quick how-to on how to update your Slackware 10 to use a newer kernel.
Upgrade to Kernel 2.6.7 on Slackware 10
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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Oh man, after reading that article I think I’ve been updating my kernel the wrong way. I use reiserfs as the file system, and when I build a kernel I have never selected initrd. I just select reiserfs to be compiled into the kernel, and after configuring everything else and building and installing the kernel, it boots up on next reboot. Initrd isn’t mandatory/necessary is it? Would I the mere laptop user have any advantage of using this initrd as opposed to not using it?
“Initrd isn’t mandatory/necessary is it? Would I the mere laptop user have any advantage of using this initrd as opposed to not using it?”
as of 2.6 it is required. kernel doesnt have its own boot mechanism
The slackware stock kernel only has ext2 support built in. If you use reiserfs/xfs as root partition, you have to make a initrd(ram disk). If you compile your own kernel and built the file system support into the kernel other than modules, i think you would be ok without mkinitrd as directed.
If your kernel is working without initrd, then it doesn’t need it. The benifits of using this mechinism are in getting the kernel as modular as possible, and small as possible. It especially helps when distos distribute a kernel in binary form that must work on many hardware configurations. Without initrd, these binary kernels would have to have every possible driver needed to boot compiled into the kernel.
I use slackware and would recommend compileing your own. Slacware pkgs are i486.
Anybody kows what I can do with these problems?
– After the installation and choosing dhcp for network my net connection worked fine. But after I cahnged the rc.d/rc.hotplug to non executable (I don’t need the hardware detection for USB), the network stopped working (the eth module won’t be even loaded). After changing it back to ecuxutable I get an IP adress from the dhcp server but the connection is incledibly slow. Is this a bug in Slackware or am I doing something wrong?
– It is not possible to change the keyboard layout to german in X. No problem in the console but when uncomment the correct entrys in xorg.conf to get the german keyboard layout it is still the US layout. Very strange.
i got kernel 2.4.25 , and everytime i search fo a tutorial to upgrade i only found for 2.6,
so if anyone knew a good tutorial for upgrading 2.4 and grub , plz post it here …
I followed the instructions and it worked great. I am typing from slackware 10 right now with kernel 2.6.7 using fvm95 on a old AMD 300mhz 256mb of ram and 2.5 gb hd. This is my spare computer and cant wait to finish building the new spare computer with a 2000+. I run Mandrake 10 on my main computer but I can see why people fall in love with Slackware 10. Its runnng great on this old workhorse
would be great! It seems like the full Slackware install is wayyy to much & I have no idea what to select. Something like how Debian starts up, then you just do apt-get.
The kernel on disc 2 is compiled without preempt, so to get one of the real benefits of 2.6 on the desktop, you have to recompile it. It *does* make a difference!
I’d advise starting the config from scratch too, while the .config that comes with 2.6 on slack is very compatible, it builds about 20,000 modules for obscure hardware, so it takes ages to compile.
Anyone have info on how to move a RedHat 8 or 9 system to 2.6? A apt or yum source to handle the transition would be nice.
Thanks!
http://www.distrowatch.com/images/screenshots/vidalinux-anaconda.pn…
Might give this one a try.
http://gentoo.vidalinux.com/?q=node/view/68
http://people.redhat.com/arjanv/2.6/readme.txt
I was looking for a HowTo on this very subject.
I’ve been using kernel 2.6.7 stock from http://www.kernel.org with my slackware 9.1 distribution since the beginning of time. It’s just a matter of recompiling a new kernel, which is the same as it ever was (actually easier now IMHO), is there really a need for an article? I don’t even consider myself a professional linux nut.
Long live slackware, n00bs don’t fear it!
t’s just a matter of recompiling a new kernel, which is the same as it ever was (actually easier now IMHO), is there really a need for an article? I don’t even consider myself a professional linux nut.
Well, I had no idea that the process was the same, because I never knew how to do it to begin with, so I welcome the article
Grab the source from kernel.org, expand it initially in /home or /tmp, or any other place that’s not /usr/src/linux (so you don’t mess up the source tree of your existing kernel before you’re ready). Read the readme and the other docs — there’re plenty of them. Check out the Linux Documentation Project (tldp.org) for other info.
If you’ve never built a kernel, it isn’t that difficult. Tedious, perhaps, because you need to follow the game plan precisely. Perhaps the most challenging thing for first-timers is knowing which configuration options to choose and which to ignore. Then, which to compile into the kernel and which to build as modules? Here’s a little bit of advice:
–Know your hardware in detail.
–Unless you’re a firewall expert, select all the iptables options and build them as modules (At least one popular GUI-fied iptables configuration goodie expects to see the modules and whines if they’re in the kernel.)
–If you’ve got USB peripherals, consider building that code into the kernel. I’ve never been able to get my USB Intellimouse to work otherwise, and then it still needed the (wretched) imwheel.
–If you’re inclined to play with compiler options to optimize things to death, wait until you’ve built and installed a working kernel. Things happen.
–Remember to rename your existing kernel and edit lilo.conf to offer it as an option, so you’ll have something to fall back on if/when your new kernel goes belly up.
–And…don’t forget to run /sbin/lilo.
I’m on Slack 10 with 2.4.26 right now, but I built 2.6.7 on -current a few days before 10 was released.
Subjectively speaking, I didn’t see any real improvement. This is on an Athlon-XP 2700 desktoo machine that is not especially stressed. I’m curious if anyone has noticed compelling improvements in 2.6.7 for that environment.
Know your hardware in detail.
Linux still requires this?!?! Man. In any BSD I’ve ever used you just need the GENERIC kernel, and perhaps an extra module or two to make most hardware work. Why is Linux so difficult?
You can achieve the same affect by simply building most of the options as modules. That’s what Linux distributions do, since they don’t know what kind of machines they’ll be running on. If something isn’t needed, it isn’t loaded.
The risk to kernel compilers comes, for example, from not knowing what kinds of network card they have or what kind of drives they use. That’s the level of detail needed.
The risk to kernel compilers comes, for example, from not knowing what kinds of network card they have or what kind of drives they use. That’s the level of detail needed.
That’s what I’m talking about! Why is that still needed? Like I said, in BSD, the GENERIC kernel coveres all of that in most cases, and only in rare oddball cases are you required to load a module to add needed functionality.
Linux needs a GENERIC kernel configuration IMO.
Isn’t compiling a Linux kernel with most options selected because you don’t know what kind of hardware it will run on much the same as the GENERIC BSD kernel? I.e., if in doubt, put it in.
At least, that was my impression the last time I compiled a BSD kernel. In Linux, you can compile in code for a specific card, or put it in a module, and not drag around code for dozens of cards you don’t use. Modules aren’t used to add needed functionality but rather to build kernels that run on a wide variety of hardware without bloating by compiling into the kernel code for every possible hardware configuration, almost all of which is wasted on any given machine.
In BSD you can remove anything that’s not needed to support your hardware from the GENERIC kernel. It’s just really nice to have almost everything that is likely encountered out in the wild to be supported out of the box, or nearly so.
It’s hassle free.
Well, you can do a “generic” monolithic kernel with Linux. However, most Linux distributions are putting everything in modules and have hardware detection routines instead. I think it’s a better way to go than lumping everything in a fatty kernel. Basically, it’s something that is distro-dependant. Of course, that’s my opinion.
This is what I wanted to say too. That text on distrowatch is wxactly the same as the README found on the slack CD and /boot.
Why this “workaround” when one can compile a brand new kernel for their box?If you have problems head to justlinux.com. A very friendly bunch in there and a lot of slackers.
compiling 2.6 seires is really easy, even for newbies like me
there a couple of articles at http://www.linuxquestions.org in slackware section, really good, with extra problem solutions.
i just did
make mrproper && make menuconfig
make bzImage && make modules && make modules_install
done. took me about 30-40 mins.
It is even easier than that
make menuconfig
make
make modules_install
make install
the “make install” part handles adding entry to lilo.conf and the mkinitrd command. Although I always get an error saying ext2 is not supported by kernel which is absolutelu correct since I’m using ReiserFS. I haven’t had any problems with not having the ramdisk image since I’ve included ReiserFS in the kernel.
i don’t use make install cuz i use suse’s grub for multiple boot
== haven’t had any problems with not having the ramdisk image since I’ve included ReiserFS in the kernel.
==
me too
“i don’t use make install cuz i use suse’s grub for multiple boot
”
Oh yeah..grub…I always forget that there are other boot-loaders than lilo 🙂 This just shows how damaged I am
It depends on your needs. For example, you
may start with the “a” series and then add
what you need (e.g., “n”, “d”, “x”, etc.).
This is from README.initrd, which comes with Slack-10.0:
“We’ll walk through the process of upgrading to the 2.6.7
Linux kernel using the packages found in Slackware’s testing/packages/linux-2.6.7/ directory.
First, make sure the kernel, kernel modules, and mkinitrd
package are installed (the current version numbers might be
a little different, so this is just an example): …”
“> it *does* make a difference
no one using it, cause your system getting slower and unstable. yes, it does make a difference and a big stupid one in your brain”
I have no choice but to use it. Without preemt the kernel can spend >30ms locked. The software I am using requires <8ms latency. Preempt solves this problem, and keeps it in the 1-3ms range.
Now, what stability and throughput problems have you had?
I would like to try this but 10.0 doesn’t like my computer for some reason.
After installing 10.0 none of the WM’s will start completely.
X starts up and then when the WM start to load everything locks up except the mouse. Can’t us the keyboard(no CTRL-ALT-BSPACE or CTRL-ALT-DEL), but the mouse works.
I guess it’s back to 9.1.
In college, I was the ideal Slackware user. I wanted to learn programming, loved to compile my own stuff and felt that Redhat was only useful in removing the user from my goal of learning *nix. I extolled its virtues at every opportunity. I didn’t have to hunt down an RPM just to install a new kernel, and I certainly knew how to compile my own kernel. I didn’t know of any other serious distributions in 1996.
When I entered the real world and had a job and non-computer hobbies, I still had the need (perceived need as opposed to life or death need) for a *nix machine for my home mail, DNS and web serving. I no longer had the time, however, for fixing dependencies, applying source code patches and hunting down the minor details that I had arduously learned how to hunt down in the previous years. Debian came to my rescue. Dselect may be rough around the intuitive UI edges, and it’s not quick on my 486, but it’s consistent and only requires occasional answers to keep my machine well patched. It’s been years since I’ve had to compile my own kernel, let alone wanted to.
I fondly remember Slackware as I remember my first girlfriend. It was a good idea at the time, but that time has since past and I have moved on. I am much happier now, but the lessons and memories will stay with me for a long time.
For those asking for a kernel compiling guide for Slackware go to http://www.linuxquestions.org in the slackware forum there are sticky threads for compiling the 2.4 and 2.6 kernels. They are clear, up to date, and fairly easy to follow.