build a custom kernel

windoze · 2008-01-14 22:06:24

can i have a step by step on how to easily build a custom kernel with abs or whatever. ty

ProzacR · 2008-01-14 22:10:29

Yes you can:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Cus … n_with_ABS

windoze · 2008-01-14 22:13:36

thats too complicated

ProzacR · 2008-01-14 22:16:31

Then use normal kernel.
I use normal kenel from core and it works very well.

windoze · 2008-01-14 23:13:33

how to use manule kernel please?

low · 2008-01-14 23:28:15

first, um, wow.

second, go to aur and download the zen kernel package:
http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?d … s=0&SeB=nd

change the branch to "master" in the PKGBUILD.
run makepkg.
pacman -U kernel*pkg*
configure grub

windoze · 2008-01-15 00:45:34

how to download this with pacman?

ProzacR · 2008-01-15 00:49:30

pacman is used for automatic instaliations, not for manuale downloads. use wget for manuale downloads.

windoze · 2008-01-15 00:53:42

ok. how to download it with wget. i am only at root not x windows. ty

Misfit138 · 2008-01-15 02:34:32

windoze wrote:

can i have a step by step on how to easily build a custom kernel with abs or whatever. ty

If the step by step how to in the wiki is too complicated, you may need to learn more about GNU/Linux before you proceed to build your kernel for whatever reason.
Why do you need a custom kernel in the first place?
What are you hoping to achieve, that the stock kernel cannot?
Here is a kernel compilation guidefrom the wiki that I personally find simpler:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ker … rom_Source

Last edited by Misfit138 (2008-01-15 02:37:22)

windoze · 2008-01-15 02:41:48

its cp. that all! for the rest of your questions, the goal is a faster boot.

Last edited by windoze (2008-01-15 02:43:43)

ProzacR · 2008-01-15 07:51:38

windoze wrote:

ok. how to download it with wget. i am only at root not x windows. ty

If you want to learn something about command use this:
man wget
press q to quit arrows to navigate.
Or use online man pages:
http://linux.die.net/man/1/wget

And at all follow Intaliation guide to install all things like normal user sound, xorg, xfce4, firefox and then it will be much more windows-like enviroment.
~~~

And, Yes Misfit138 is right kenel compilation is quite hard task, not for beginers. I used Linux for more than 2 years and never tried it. I think I have more than enough skill now, but I do not bother to do this.

b9anders · 2008-01-15 07:55:43

low wrote:

first, um, wow.
second, go to aur and download the zen kernel package:
http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?d … s=0&SeB=nd
change the branch to "master" in the PKGBUILD.
run makepkg.
pacman -U kernel*pkg*
configure grub

what are the benefits of the zen kernel for a desktop user?

ProzacR · 2008-01-15 08:05:16

http://www.tweako.com/the_zen_kernel_2_ … oms_kernel
Sounds like advertising...
I will better wait for normal 2.6.24 with same improvements.

Last edited by ProzacR (2008-01-15 08:08:17)

Misfit138 · 2008-01-15 17:48:38

windoze wrote:

its cp. that all! for the rest of your questions, the goal is a faster boot.

You may find that compiling your own kernel does not give a noticeable increase in speed, necessarily.
I have personally compared the difference between the stock Arch kernel and a custom, monolithic kernel and found exactly 1 second difference in boot time. A lot more work and system maintenance is required with a custom kernel on my system as well, since I must manually recompile the nvidia driver each time there is an update. So in my case, it was not worth it at all. YMMV.
One of the many reasons to use Arch is the great stock kernel, and the ease of maintenance it represents.

gunnihinn · 2008-01-15 20:25:40

I'm in a similar boat as you, as in that I've had a bit of free time the last week and decided to do nothing constructive with it (i.e. compile a custom kernel for the first time).

So far I've spent two days on it, and this morning I got a mostly usable result; a stripped down kernel (I think it was about 10mb) that I could boot, had all my usual modules compiled in, and ran everything except the sound (some problems with snd_hwdep). And instead of fixing the sound issue I chucked the whole thing out the window.

Like Misfit said, it would be a living hell to maintain, which is not why I chose Arch in the first place. Also, lets say I could have fixed the sound issue in another day, and that I'd get a 10 second boot time improvement from it. That would bring my boot time from around 30 seconds to around 20 seconds. So in order to gain back the 3 days I spent on that kernel I'd have to boot just under 26 thousand times. Assuming, of course, that I'd never have to update my kernel.

Last edited by gunnihinn (2008-01-15 20:26:39)

brebs · 2008-01-15 21:07:37

"Living hell"? Nope, non-masochists use a *script*. Like this:

cd /var/abs/local/nvidia
rm -rf pkg src
V=$(cat /usr/src/linux/include/config/kernel.release)
sed -i -e "/^_kernver=/s/.*/_kernver=${V}/" PKGBUILD || exit 1
makepkg -fic --asroot || exit 1

For ALSA, see wiki.

Last edited by brebs (2008-01-15 21:11:32)

kensai · 2008-01-15 21:09:34

Compiling the kernel is the best thing you can do if you want a system with support for just the hardware you have. But, I have always had trouble using custom kernels on the new Arch Linux, well I mean not the Arch Linux I user back in the days on 2004 which could easily have a custom kernel and pacman -S nvidia would install the driver and work with the custom kernel, which is not the case anymore, it has been complicated to a point of frustration nowadays. I love the CRUX philosophy that the kernel shouldn't be updated by the package manager nor installed by it, the user should. But Arch Linux is way better OS, and I just have given up to the fact that my custom compiled kernel just haves a ~1% boost against the Arch stock one.

And for boot system speedup, just like 1-2 seconds are cut off it. So the conclusion is, Arch stock kernel is really good, so if it ain't broken don't bother fixing it.

tomk · 2008-01-15 22:08:46

gunnihinn wrote:

So in order to gain back the 3 days I spent on that kernel I'd have to boot just under 26 thousand times.

Quote of the month - well said.

windoze · 2008-01-15 22:30:52

lol. yes the zen kernel makepkg sure is a waste of time. I left the computer on all night and it still was not finshed with the build, but that does not matter as i am just playing around with linux as this time.

blu3ness · 2008-01-16 00:13:53

building a custom kernel won't give you a fast boot. It might be 3~4 secs faster but the improvement is barely noticeable. If you want a fast system, you need to optimize everything. not just the kernel. U might as well start with others while you are at it.

windoze · 2008-01-16 00:57:24

Well, I created this thread because most of the udev talks at this board referred to a custom kernel to speedup the udev events which some have suggested is a bug. With fast computers the udev events loads in a few seconds while slower computers such as a p2 could take perhaps up to a minute to load just the udev events. That issue has been posted at the bugs and such talks about it have been posted at this board going back a few years now.

I have also read at other boards the kernel 2.4 is still very supported. The software that needs the 2.6 kernel is fixed for the 2.4 kernel. So in these regards, the 2.4 kernel can be an important factor for slower computers.

I have tested many distros. Damn small linux (DSL) being the fastest to boot to root with the 2.4 kernel. On my computer it only takes DSL about 20 seconds, slackware-8 about 40 second while arch linux takes 60 seconds with the modified start_udev file and about 90 seconds normally. These three distrols detect the same modules and everything seems to be working fine except the sound card where I have to set it up for each of the distros.

I like this arch linux because I am able to learn linux from the groundup. Such as installing by unetbootin, Packman, modifying a file, and anything else to get to startx, but for the members that have an old computer, there seems to be an ongoing issue of udev. If this udev bug could be fixed, a boot to root would take only about 35 seconds.

It seems to address this udev events issue, a custom kernel is needed. one that does not take 10+ hours to build. a precompiled kernel could addrees this issus until the bug is fixed.

Last edited by windoze (2008-01-16 01:17:20)

axion419 · 2008-01-16 18:36:28

This is what got me from arch to crux, still trying to wrestle crux into working But i boot my pc's and laptops and arch sits at udev for 10 -30 seconds. and when i saw http://kmandla.wordpress.com/ showing how fast a boot is without arch/udev i wanted to give it a try.

Mr Green · 2008-01-16 18:46:56

No one has mentioned ABS.... I assume it still exists... would be easier way to go....

windoze · 2008-01-17 01:38:08

axion419 wrote:

This is what got me from arch to crux, still trying to wrestle crux into working But i boot my pc's and laptops and arch sits at udev for 10 -30 seconds. and when i saw http://kmandla.wordpress.com/ showing how fast a boot is without arch/udev i wanted to give it a try.

see my post http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=42416

Arch Linux

#1 2008-01-14 22:06:24

build a custom kernel

#2 2008-01-14 22:10:29

Re: build a custom kernel

#3 2008-01-14 22:13:36

Re: build a custom kernel

#4 2008-01-14 22:16:31

Re: build a custom kernel

#5 2008-01-14 23:13:33

Re: build a custom kernel

#6 2008-01-14 23:28:15

Re: build a custom kernel

#7 2008-01-15 00:45:34

Re: build a custom kernel

#8 2008-01-15 00:49:30

Re: build a custom kernel

#9 2008-01-15 00:53:42

Re: build a custom kernel

#10 2008-01-15 02:34:32

Re: build a custom kernel

#11 2008-01-15 02:41:48

Re: build a custom kernel

#12 2008-01-15 07:51:38

Re: build a custom kernel

#13 2008-01-15 07:55:43

Re: build a custom kernel

#14 2008-01-15 08:05:16

Re: build a custom kernel

#15 2008-01-15 17:48:38

Re: build a custom kernel

#16 2008-01-15 20:25:40

Re: build a custom kernel

#17 2008-01-15 21:07:37

Re: build a custom kernel

#18 2008-01-15 21:09:34

Re: build a custom kernel

#19 2008-01-15 22:08:46

Re: build a custom kernel

#20 2008-01-15 22:30:52

Re: build a custom kernel

#21 2008-01-16 00:13:53

Re: build a custom kernel

#22 2008-01-16 00:57:24

Re: build a custom kernel

#23 2008-01-16 18:36:28

Re: build a custom kernel

#24 2008-01-16 18:46:56

Re: build a custom kernel

#25 2008-01-17 01:38:08

Re: build a custom kernel

Board footer