[Dxspider-support] Linux Kernel Build Woes

Mike Lewis mlewis at digitalglobe.com
Tue Mar 5 23:19:18 GMT 2002


I realize that this is probably a bit off topic, and most likely beneath
some of the more sophisticated Linux users out there, but I am hoping that
if I can't get an answer to my problems, maybe someone can send me in the
direction of a more appropriate source of help.

I decided to transfer over to a Linux based Spider system from Windows,
where I was having a certain amount of problems. I also figured it was a
good opportunity to get myself up to speed on Linux ( I am a S/W engineer
who has done all my development on either Windows based, or embedded
systems, no Unix experience to speak of...) The transition has actually been
fun, and very informative, up until the attempt to get the Linux kernel
modified for Ham radio (AX25) support. I got Spider installed, and was
logging into it over my local network using telnet or ssh without problems,
so decided it was time to try to get the system running on 2m with my TNC.
The system is a P166 with 128MB RAM, ~6GB drive, and running a Redhat 7.1
install. The original kernel that installed with the 7.1 CDs was 2.4.2-2.
Initially, I tried to install 2.4.9 with AX25, when I had problems I
subsequently went back to trying to update the 2.4.2-2 install to include
AX25 support. I have not been able to get either to work right. The good
news is, I can still boot my original 2.4.2-2 without AX25 without problems,
but all other attempts at any installs that I built have had problems.

The original kernel (2.4.2-2) with AX25 added, hangs the boot process while
trying to install some USB driver (I have no USB connected, and this driver
is not a problem in the original build).

The 2.4.9 build fails the process accounting (accton), the sound card (kudzu
comes up), and the eth0 Ethernet card during boot, then comes up and can be
used (with no network access...)

I have referred to 2 books, the AX25 HowTo, the Linux Kernel HowTo, and at
least 3 associates with no insights into what is wrong. I have tried
building the kernel both with loadable modules, as:

backed up boot images, source code directory, and /lib/modules directory for
original install
cd /usr/src/linux-2.X.X
make mrproper
make xconfig (set options and save)
make dep
make clean (have tried with and without this step...)
make bzImage
make modules
make modules-install
cp /usr/src/linux-2.X.X/arch/i386/boot/bzImage to /boot/linuz-2.X.X
edit lilo.conf, add new image and keep old one avail
run lilo
reboot

or without loadable modules as:
cd /usr/src/linux-2.X.X
make mrproper
make xconfig (set options and save)
make dep
make clean (have tried with and without this step...)
make bzImage
cp /usr/src/linux-2.X.X/arch/i386/boot/bzImage to /boot/linuz-2.X.X
edit lilo.conf, add new image and keep old one avail
run lilo
reboot

Version without modules has even more problems that one with modules, even
though I explicitly turned off loadable module support and made sure no
options were set to load as modules...

I have noticed that make modules_install only copies over a small amount
compared to what is in the original /lib/modules/2.4.2-2 directory of the
original working version.

At this point, it is the principal of the thing. I don't even care how long
it takes, I am going to figure out how to make this work. Anyone got any
ideas, or at least some source of help I haven't tried yet?

73 es tnx de Mike/KE0MF
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