Debian Kernel

7.1.1 Debian standard method

Watch out for bug reports on kernel-package, gcc, binutils, and modutils. Use new versions of them as needed.

Compiling a custom kernel from source under a Debian system requires special care. Use the new --append_to_version with make-kpkg to build multiple kernel-images.

    # apt-get install debhelper modutils kernel-package libncurses5-dev
    # apt-get install kernel-source-2.4.18   # use latest version
    # apt-get install fakeroot
    # vi /etc/kernel-pkg.conf                # input name and email
    $ cd /usr/src                            # build directory
    $ tar --bzip2 -xvf kernel-source-2.4.18.tar.bz2
    $ cd kernel-source-2.4.18                # if this is your kernel source
    $ cp /boot/config-2.4.18-386 .config     # get current config as default
    $ make menuconfig                        # customize as one wishes
    $ make-kpkg clean                        # must run (per: man make-kpkg)
    $ fakeroot make-kpkg --append_to_version -486 --initrd \
            --revision=rev.01 kernel_image \
            modules_image # modules_image is for pcmcia-cs* etc.
    $ cd ..
    # dpkg -i kernel-image*.deb pcmcia-cs*.deb # install

make-kpkg kernel_image actually does make oldconfig and make dep. Do not use --initrd if initrd is not used.

If one wants to use modules from pcmcia-cs or no pcmcia, one should select "General setup —>" to "PCMCIA/CardBus support —>" in make menuconfig and set the configuration to "< > PCMCIA/CardBus support" (i.e., uncheck the box).

On an SMP machine, set CONCURRENCY_LEVEL according to kernel-pkg.conf(5).

Package kernel-source-2.6.8

testing (devel): Linux kernel source for version 2.6.8 with Debian patches 2.6.8-15: all unstable (devel): Linux kernel source for version 2.6.8 with Debian patches 2.6.8-16: all