modifying kernel

[Brian Kelsay]

What may be "magic" about it is when you try to compile a package other than the kernel.  AFAIK gcc will compile against whatever kernel source and headers is in /usr/src/linux or symlinked to it.   If you are testing several kernels and have to recompile some program, then it becomes a problem or "royally jacked up".  I would have a problem like this with my funky wireless card.  If you try to load the compiled module and the kernel version compiled against is different from the current running kernel, it doesn't work.  There is your magic.  There is a config file somewhere that lets you set the default kernel source and header location.  Most people just temporarily change the symlink from /usr/src/linux to the new /usr/src/linux-2.4.x location right before compiling.  May not be right but it works.  Maybe the Makefile for the program would be the place to change this?


Brian Kelsay

>>> "Ben Coffman" <> 11/11/04 06:02PM >>>
its not a magic place...no way...blows my mind

On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 18:20:30 +0000
"Ben Coffman" <> wrote:

 > I thought I installed the source, but I guess it just puts a
 > linux-2.6.9.tar.bz2 file in your /usr/src/redhat/SOURCE file...which I
 >
 > assume you have to upack and move to the /usr/src file...If this works
 > I'll give a heads up if it does I will be asking for help again.

   If you're building a kernel on a Red Hat system and want to make a
   kernel RPM, you need to learn how to build RPMs and compile them
   as SRPMs.

   If you don't mind not having your kernel in your RPM database you
   can just download a kernel source from kernel.org and build it
   from wherever.... /usr/src/linux isn't a "magic place" or anything.