Making a new kernel under Linux:

You can use the kernel sources on
your system or you may want to download
and install later kernel from:

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/kernel/v1.3/

For example the current kernel as of 4/20/96 was:

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/kernel/v1.3/linux-1.3.91.tar.gz

You can download it simply by entering this URL
in your WWW browser or you can ftp it directly.

To install this package type:

cd /usr/src
rm -rf linux
tar -xvzf linux-1.3.91.tar.gz
(or you could have typed:
gzip -cd linux-1.3.91.tar.gz | tar xfv - 
mv linux linux-1.3.91
ln -s linux-1.3.91 linux

If you just want to use the current kernel
sources on your hard drive you can just skip
the above steps. Either way you’ll need to
build a new kernel by doing the following:


cd /usr/include
ln -s /usr/src/linux/include/linux linux
ln -s /usr/src/linux/include/asm-i386 asm
cd /usr/src/linux

If you want to add a patch type:
gzip -cd patchxx.gz | patch -p0
You may also want to vi your Makefile.
Probably you don’t.

Now you want to type:

make mrproper 
make config

Answer the questions.
If you make a mistake you can hit control-C
and type make config again. Then type:

make dep 
make clean
make zImage
make modules
make modules_install
cd arch/i386/boot
cp /vmlinuz /vmlinuz.old 
cp zImage /vmlinuz
cd /

Now you have a binary kernel called /vmlinuz.
Note you could have skipped the steps above
if someone just gives you a binary kernel vmlinuz.
Either way you’ll have to run:
chmod +r /vmlinuz
rdev -R /vmlinuz 1
lilo

Now you can reboot and your new kernel will boot up.
If it fails to boot you’ll have to boot off a diskette.
You can use your install disk. Or you can ftp one from:
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/distributions/slackware/bootdsks.144/

You probably want the one labeled "scsi."
When you get it you write it to a diskette.
Under DOS get:

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/distributions/slackware/install/RAWRITE.EXE

Copy Rawrite.exe into your DOS directory
and type:

rawrite

Then tell it that SCSI is your source file
and drive a: is you destination floppy.
Under Linux you can skip this and just
put a DOS formatted blank floppy in A:
and type:

dd if=/scsi of=/dev/fd0

Once you’ve done this boot off the floppy
and when you see:

boot:

Type:

mount root=/dev/sda1

You’ll boot back up if your Linux
boot partition is the the first partition
on the first hard drive. Repeat the kernel
install until you get it to work.

If your modules are autoloaded that it.
If not you’ll need to get modules-1.1.8x.tar.gz
or later. You can use insmod or rmmod to start
and remove modules. ‘/sbin/modprobe module’ will
load a module if you have /sbin/depmod -a loaded
in your /etc/rc.d/rc.S script.