sd_mod, sr_mod: which kernel options?

mmmasterluke · 2008-02-13 13:47:19

Hello all,

I just started fiddling around with compiling my own kernel because I'm not satisfied with the performance/latency of my desktop system.

I thought it would be a good thing to start with

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Kernel_Compilation_From_Source

to get a hang of the whole procedure. I compiled a few kernels with minor changes (moving modules into the kernel etc.) just to see what happens and practice a bit. It all worked fine, adjusting menu.lst, mkinitcpio and so on...

Then I started to remove all the stuff that I (thought I ) didn't need for my laptop (TravelMate 4650). I ran into problems when mkinitcpio reported 'ata_piix' and other ata stuff missing but I went back to gconfig and it was easy to find out what I shouldn't have removed.

Now -- after ruthlessly double-clicking around in gconfig ("if it doesn't sound familiar, it has to go" ) -- mkinitcpio tells me I need 'sr_mod' and 'sd_mod', some really important SCSI modules (apparently). I don't even have SCSI devices but my disks are all /dev/sd* so that means I need SCSI support, right? This is the message:

[13:50:26][luke@calculon][~/kernelbuild/linux-2.6.23]$ sudo mkinitcpio -k 2.6.23-MY_ARCH -g /boot/kernel26-my-arch.img
:: Begin build
:: Parsing hook [base]
:: Parsing hook [udev]
:: Parsing hook [autodetect]
:: Parsing hook [pata]
ERROR: module 'sd[-_]mod' not found
ERROR: module 'sr[-_]mod' not found
:: Parsing hook [keymap]
:: Parsing hook [filesystems]
:: Generating module dependencies
:: Generating image '/boot/kernel26-my-arch.img'...SUCCESS

My problem now is that I can't figure out which kernel options are related to these two modules. The 'SCSI device support' section lists 'BLK_DEV_SD' and 'BLK_DEV_SR' which I activated with the 'M' (I looked up the config from abs to find the standard settings). I still get the same message. Does it make a difference (to mkinitcpio) if you mark something 'M' or 'Y'? I mean, does it realize that if something isn't there as a modul it might be integrated in the kernal already?

All in all I have to say is that the whole kernel compilation is not that complicated. I was always afraid to try but now (thanks to Arch) I started diving into the innards (eewww) of a Linux system. The important thing is to keep a working backup version in case something goes wrong (which will happen).

I've read a little (only superficially so far) about patching the kernel to increase performance/responsiveness on the desktop (which is my ultimate goal). There seems to be a big discussion going on (with Con Colivas and all) about this issue. I know, there are a lot of topics about this already but is applying kernel patches worth the effort? Can you feel a difference in performance? I've set the Processor Family option the Pentium-M (my CPU) and I set the Preemption Model to PREEMPT but that hasn't really made a difference. If you ask me, it's probably worse than before.

OK, the last paragraph was a little OT, my main problem are 'sd_mod' and 'sr_mod' . It takes 20 minutes to compile every time so I'm a little reluctant to just use trial and error with every module.

Thanks for immediate help or giving relevant links. Is there something that tells you exactly which module is linked to which config option? That would be really helpful.

--masterluke

Last edited by mmmasterluke (2008-02-13 13:47:56)

JaQoB · 2008-02-13 14:38:53

sd_mod -> "SCSI disk support"
sr_mod -> "SCSI CD_ROM Support"

I am not on my ordinary computer right now, so i cant check up the exact phrases. But hope it helps!

Edit: If this is even your problem? I get the same errors when I install my kernel with pacman (without using a initrd).
But it still boot just fine.

Last edited by JaQoB (2008-02-13 14:40:26)

mmmasterluke · 2008-02-13 14:56:36

Thanks JaQoB,

I tried those two already...

Maybe I had set them to 'Y' instead of 'M'. Trying again now...

I use initrd (don't know yet how to do it without) so I want to make sure that mkinitcpio doesn't complain.

--masterluke

mmmasterluke · 2008-02-13 15:46:26

I tried the settings, both as modules or compiled into the kernel. Still the same error...

--masterluke

mmmasterluke · 2008-02-13 17:28:27

Shame on me... I forgot 'make modules_install'. Total n00b mistake ...

JaQoB was right. Now I saw that it even is says 'the module will be called sd_mod/sr_mod' in the respective kernel help.

--masterluke

bhanuvrat · 2010-04-04 21:08:34

I tried to mkinitcpio with both scsi disk support built into the kernel and as a module both ways I am not able to make my system work with the new kernel.

I get the same error if I try to run mkinitcpio with scsi disk support build into the kernel.
When the scisi disk sopport is left to be loaded later as a module, mkinitcpio works fine but later while booting the system complains that the partition was not found, i.e /dev/disk/by-uuid/"some kinda code" was not found.

I am not able to boot into my new kernel.
please help.

tomk · 2010-04-12 09:53:44

bhanuvrat - this thread is over two years old. Do not post in old threads - see here for details.

I see that you have started a [url]http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=94562]new thread[/url] already.

Closed.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-02-13 13:47:19

sd_mod, sr_mod: which kernel options?

#2 2008-02-13 14:38:53

Re: sd_mod, sr_mod: which kernel options?

#3 2008-02-13 14:56:36

Re: sd_mod, sr_mod: which kernel options?

#4 2008-02-13 15:46:26

Re: sd_mod, sr_mod: which kernel options?

#5 2008-02-13 17:28:27

Re: sd_mod, sr_mod: which kernel options?

#6 2010-04-04 21:08:34

Re: sd_mod, sr_mod: which kernel options?

#7 2010-04-12 09:53:44

Re: sd_mod, sr_mod: which kernel options?

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