Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

xuanrui · 2019-02-18 02:13:53

I'm currently using the standard, compiled kernel from the linux package, but I'm planning to switch to a custom-compiled kernel, like linux-ck. I'm not sure what I need to do before switching.

I figured that I probably need to generate a list of kernel modules that need to be reinstalled and recompiled with dkms support, but I'm not sure how I should do that. Also, are there any other things I'd need to do?

Trilby · 2019-02-18 02:16:31

How are you building the kernel? If you are using a package (e.g., from repo-ck) or a PKGBUILD, you don't need to do any of the above, just install the packages.

If you are building manually, then you do need to build the modules as well, but this is a standard part of the build/install covered by the kernel's makefile. But if you don't use a package/PKGBUILD, you will need to manually trigger the dkms rebuilds.

xuanrui · 2019-02-18 02:24:47

Trilby wrote:

How are you building the kernel? If you are using a package (e.g., from repo-ck) or a PKGBUILD, you don't need to do any of the above, just install the packages.
If you are building manually, then you do need to build the modules as well, but this is a standard part of the build/install covered by the kernel's makefile. But if you don't use a package/PKGBUILD, you will need to manually trigger the dkms rebuilds.

Thanks. I understand this part, but my main concern is that some of my drivers (e.g. my NVIDIA driver) are installed as binary packages, and IIRC I'll have to reinstall them as DKMS packages to work with custom kernels. I'm not sure how to find all binary kernel module packages that I'd have to replace, though.

Trilby · 2019-02-18 02:35:58

Ok, again how are you building or obtaining the new kernel? Repo-ck contains nvidia packages for the ck kernel.

xuanrui · 2019-02-18 02:37:13

Trilby wrote:

Ok, again how are you building or obtaining the new kernel? Repo-ck contains nvidia packages for the ck kernel.

I'm just going to use a PKGBUILD from the AUR, not a big fan of extra repositories.

eschwartz · 2019-02-18 02:46:54

xuanrui wrote:

Thanks. I understand this part, but my main concern is that some of my drivers (e.g. my NVIDIA driver) are installed as binary packages, and IIRC I'll have to reinstall them as DKMS packages to work with custom kernels. I'm not sure how to find all binary kernel module packages that I'd have to replace, though.

How hard is it to look at which packages you have installed that depend on the "linux" package? (Hint: pacman -Qi linux ==> Required By)

Is your nvidia driver installed without using pacman, or something?

xuanrui · 2019-02-18 02:51:09

eschwartz wrote:

xuanrui wrote:
Thanks. I understand this part, but my main concern is that some of my drivers (e.g. my NVIDIA driver) are installed as binary packages, and IIRC I'll have to reinstall them as DKMS packages to work with custom kernels. I'm not sure how to find all binary kernel module packages that I'd have to replace, though.
How hard is it to look at which packages you have installed that depend on the "linux" package? (Hint: pacman -Qi linux ==> Required By)
Is your nvidia driver installed without using pacman, or something?

> How hard is it to look at which packages you have installed that depend on the "linux" package? (Hint: pacman -Qi linux ==> Required By)

Oops. Good catch, I was being stupid. I'd usually use pactree, but you got it.

> Is your nvidia driver installed without using pacman, or something?

No, it is installed with pacman, but if the Wiki is correct then the "nvidia" package is a built binary and only works with linux and linux-lts kernels.

Last edited by xuanrui (2019-02-18 02:51:36)

Trilby · 2019-02-18 02:53:06

Which is precisely why I noted that repo-ck includes a nvidia package built for the ck kernel. If you are building your own ck kernel, then you'll have to rebuild your own nvidia package for it too. And the PKGBUILD for nvidia-ck (and several other nvidia driver versions to build for ck) is in the AUR.

Last edited by Trilby (2019-02-18 02:54:07)

xuanrui · 2019-02-18 02:54:23

Trilby wrote:

Which is precisely why I noted that repo-ck includes a nvidia package built for the ck kernel. If you are building your own ck kernel, then you'll have to rebuild your own nvidia package for it too.

I'm fine with (and actually prefer) building my own kernel modules, but thanks for the pointers :-)

eschwartz · 2019-02-18 03:14:42

xuanrui wrote:

> How hard is it to look at which packages you have installed that depend on the "linux" package? (Hint: pacman -Qi linux ==> Required By)
Oops. Good catch, I was being stupid. I'd usually use pactree, but you got it.

> Is your nvidia driver installed without using pacman, or something?
No, it is installed with pacman, but if the Wiki is correct then the "nvidia" package is a built binary and only works with linux and linux-lts kernels.

Right, and since it is installed by pacman, pacman can be used to find the dependency links as mentioned above! Which was my point.

But now that you mention it, no, "nvidia" does not work with the linux-lts kernel, "nvidia" is built exclusively for the "linux" kernel and "nvidia-lts" is built for the "linux-lts" kernel.

Much like "nvidia-ck" is an AUR package that works with the AUR package for the "linux-ck" kernel. Though you are of course free to install the official repository package for "nvidia-dkms" instead.

EDIT: obvious typo "linux-lts => "linux-ck"

Last edited by eschwartz (2019-02-18 03:22:29)

xuanrui · 2019-02-18 03:18:29

eschwartz wrote:

xuanrui wrote:
> How hard is it to look at which packages you have installed that depend on the "linux" package? (Hint: pacman -Qi linux ==> Required By)
Oops. Good catch, I was being stupid. I'd usually use pactree, but you got it.
> Is your nvidia driver installed without using pacman, or something?
No, it is installed with pacman, but if the Wiki is correct then the "nvidia" package is a built binary and only works with linux and linux-lts kernels.
Right, and since it is installed by pacman, pacman can be used to find the dependency links as mentioned above! Which was my point.
But now that you mention it, no, "nvidia" does not work with the linux-lts kernel, "nvidia" is built exclusively for the "linux" kernel and "nvidia-lts" is built for the "linux-lts" kernel.
Much like "nvidia-ck" is an AUR package that works with the AUR package for the "linux-lts" kernel. Though you are of course free to install the official repository package for "nvidia-dkms" instead.

Thanks for pointing that out I've never used "linux-lts" but now I know something about it XD

Turns out I also had the VirtualBox host modules, which I replaced with "virtualbox-host-dkms". I think I'm be all set now. Thanks!

Arch Linux

#1 2019-02-18 02:13:53

Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#2 2019-02-18 02:16:31

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#3 2019-02-18 02:24:47

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#4 2019-02-18 02:35:58

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#5 2019-02-18 02:37:13

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#6 2019-02-18 02:46:54

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#7 2019-02-18 02:51:09

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#8 2019-02-18 02:53:06

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#9 2019-02-18 02:54:23

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#10 2019-02-18 03:14:42

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

#11 2019-02-18 03:18:29

Re: Moving from standard "linux" kernel to custom kernel

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