Arch Linux

tom8658

Member

Registered: 2006-01-27

Posts: 18

Compiling kernel modules against 2.6.15-ARCH

I recently migrated to arch from Gentoo and Debian for a new webserver, and couldn't be happier. The system has worked great so far, and RAID card aside, I haven't had a single problem with Arch. The base system is easy to configure, and there is actually a list of config files in the install docs. Pacman is an absolute dream... Debian's apt is willfully a year out of date, and Gentoo's portage is a convulted and time-consuming nightmare.

In fact, Gentoo's unprompted and unwarranted removal of libstdc++ was the final straw.

However, one thing that confuses me about arch is the kernel build system.

I have an Areca ARC-1210 PCIe to SATAII hardware RAID card, but I can't figure out how to build the driver as a kernel module. If I compile it on its own it fails with literally hundreds of errors, almost like there's a header missing.

The instructions that came with the source want me to add a

config SCSI_ARCMSR
   tristate "ARECA SATA RAID HOST Controller"     
   depends on  PCI && SCSI
   help
    ...

block to /usr/src/linux/drivers/scsi/Kconfig (which I did: it shows up in menuconfig), and a

obj-$(CONFIG_SCSI_ARCMSR)    += arcmsr/

line to /usr/src/linux/drivers/scsi/Makefile.

However, arch doesn't seem to have the recursive makefile kernel build system that I and the good people at Areca used to.

How can I build this driver, preferably as a module, against my 2.6.15 kernel?

There are also precompiled x86 modules availible for Red Hat, SuSE, and TurboLinux. Assuming one of them is built against a reasonably current kernel, could they be used safely? I normally wouldn't try such a thing, but time is of the essence, and the RAID card seems to have such simple dependencies, I imagine it unlikely that all three major distros would have SCSI and PCI drivers patched to incompatability.

iphitus

Forum Fellow

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2004-10-09

Posts: 4,927

Re: Compiling kernel modules against 2.6.15-ARCH

the source included with the arch kernels is incomplete. If you wish to build a kernel, download the entire source from kernel.org, they're the same. Arch doesnt patch much of its things.

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: Compiling kernel modules against 2.6.15-ARCH

What he said, but also, welcome to Arch! Keep those positive comments coming....

tom8658

Member

Registered: 2006-01-27

Posts: 18

Re: Compiling kernel modules against 2.6.15-ARCH

Thanks guys... no wonder I couldn't figure out how arch builds the kernel

ihavenoname

Member

Registered: 2006-01-09

Posts: 198

Re: Compiling kernel modules against 2.6.15-ARCH

having said all that ...do u think compiling the kernel myself would provide any improvment for me???? ( I am haveing freezing and instablility problems..ive used 3 of the arch kernels....check out my thread  titled Arch Instable.. (please)

p.s.  btw Welcome 

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In this land of the pain the sane lose not knowing they were part of the game.

~LP