doc/en/genkernel.xml

<?xml version='1.0' encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/genkernel.xml,v 1.17 2005/07/24 16:51:15 plasmaroo Exp $ -->
<!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd">

<guide link="/doc/en/genkernel.xml">
<title>Gentoo Linux Genkernel Guide</title>

<author title="Author">
  <mail link="plasmaroo@gentoo.org">Tim Yamin</mail>
</author>

<!-- folajimi@speakeasy.net -->
<author title="Contributor">
  Jimi Ayodele
</author>

<!-- thseiler@gmail.com -->
<author title="NFS Support">
  Thomas Seiler
</author>

<abstract>
This guide intends to provide a reference of all the functions provided by
genkernel. 
</abstract>

<license/>

<version>1.3</version>
<date>July 24, 2005</date>

<chapter>
<title>Introduction</title>
<section>
<title>Rationale</title>
<body>

<p>
For users who are not privy to kernel compilation, genkernel is a tool to
automate this process. It can help you create a kernel image akin to those
available on Gentoo Installation CDs, which are designed to auto-detect the
hardware configuration of your system. Some users may also be interested in
using genkernel for hardware requiring initialization and a working kernel
before the system starts up. Since genkernel automatically compiles your kernel
modules, you can use hardware that may require certain module parameters to be
loaded for proper operation.
</p>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Target Audience</title>
<body>

<p>
If you are either uncertain about how to compile a kernel, or are just
unfamiliar with your hardware configuration, genkernel is a very handy tool.
It is designed to take the pain out of the kernel compiling process, and
supports most hardware by default.
</p>

<p>
However, if you know what drivers are required by your system, you may be able
to further reduce the time taken to compile the kernel. This is possible since
you can direct genkernel to only build drivers relevant to your hardware.
Oftentimes, the number of drivers required by your system will be fewer
(implying a shorter kernel compilation time) than the default configuration
provides.
</p>

</body>
</section>
<section>
<title>Installing genkernel</title>
<body>

<p>
To obtain genkernel, run <c>emerge genkernel</c> from the command line. If you
are using the
<uri link="http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/2005.0/hb-install-about.xml#doc_chap2_sect1">
Gentoo Reference Platform</uri> (GRP), remember to install binary packages by
passing the <c>-k</c> flag to emerge. Since the GRP is bundled with an older
version of genkernel, the flags may be different. In any case, consult
<c>genkernel --help</c> for help on how to use the version of genkernel
installed on your system.
</p>
 
</body>
</section>
</chapter>

<chapter>
<title>Working with genkernel</title>
<section>
<title>How to use genkernel</title>
<body>

<p>
Although there are several ways to run genkernel, the least-intrusive approach
is provided by <c>genkernel all</c>. Here, a generic configuration which works
well for most systems is used. As was mentioned earlier, this approach is not
without drawbacks; most of the modules created are useless to the average user
and may increase compile time. Below is an illustration of a more efficient
approach, achieved by passing certain flags to genkernel as root:
</p>

<pre caption="Running genkernel (with flags)">
# genkernel --bootsplash --no-install --no-clean --menuconfig all
</pre>

<p>
The above operation causes genkernel to create a bootsplash-enabled kernel
(<c>--bootsplash</c>) that will have to be manually installed
(<c>--no-install</c>). While preparing the kernel source tree, genkernel will
refrain from cleaning out any preexisting object files present in the source
tree (<c>--no-clean</c>). A menu-driven kernel configuration utility will be
displayed that allows the user to select which modules will be built for the
system (<c>--menuconfig</c>).
</p>

<p>
There are other flags which alter the result provided by genkernel. For
instance, replacing <c>--no install</c> with the <c>--install</c> flag allows
genkernel to automatically install the new kernel in the <path>/boot</path>
directory. Using the <c>--mountboot</c> flag allows genkernel to mount your
<path>/boot</path> partition automatically, if necessary.
</p>

<p>
Remember, genkernel is designed to make kernel compilation easy and
stress-free. For this reason, genkernel features several flags to ease the
kernel compilation effort. For example, there are flags to help with kernel
configuration, while others affect the actual compilation. Some flags even help
debug the compilation process. For those interested in further optimization,
there are flags that affect kernel assembling, packaging and even kernel
initialization.
</p>

<p>
The rest of this chapter examines the functionality of various flags and
actions available for genkernel. Some of the flags have variants which perform
a converse operation. The converse variants carry the <b><c>no-</c></b> prefix,
and their effects are enclosed within the square brackets, [].
</p>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Configuration Flags</title>
<body>

<p>
The configuration flags listed below exist to help you decide what features
should be enabled or disabled in the kernel prior to compilation. You can even
choose whether or not the configuration file created in the process should be
saved. The following are the primary configuration flags:
</p>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--<c>no-</c>menuconfig</b>: Activates <e>[or deactivates]</e> the
      <c>make menuconfig</c> command (which invokes an interactive, menu-based
      kernel configuration utility), before building the kernel.
        </li>
   <li>
      <b>--gconfig</b>: Provides a kernel configuration utility which depends
      on the GTK+ libraries. The advantage of this option is that most users
      find it easier and clearer to configure the kernel using this tool, since
      it relies on the X-windowing system. The disadvantage of this option is
      that you <b>need</b> the X-windowing system to use it, so it will not
      work on the command line.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--xconfig</b>: Provides a kernel configuration utility which depends
      on the QT libraries. The advantage of this option is that most users find
      it easier and clearer to configure the kernel using this tool, since it
      relies on the X-windowing system. The disadvantage of this option is that
      you <b>need</b> the X-windowing system to use it, so it will not work on
      the command line.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--<c>no-</c>save-config</b>: Saves [or does not save] the kernel
      configuration to a file in the <path>/etc/kernels/</path> directory for
      later use.
   </li>
</ul>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Compilation Flags</title>
<body>

<p>
The following flags usually take effect during the actual compilation:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <b>--kerneldir=<path>/path/to/sources/</path></b>: Specifies an
    alternative kernel source location, rather than the default
    <path>/usr/src/linux/</path> location.
  </li>
  <li>
    <b>--kernel-config=<path>/path/to/config-file</path></b>: Specifies what
    alternative kernel configuration will be used, rather than the default
    <path>/path/to/sources/.config</path> file.
  </li>
  <li>
    <b>--module-prefix=<path>/path/to/prefix-directory/</path></b>: Specifies
    a prefix to the directory where kernel modules will be installed (default
    path is the <path>/lib/modules/</path> directory.)
  </li>
</ul>

<ul>
  <li>
    <b>--<c>no-</c>clean</b>: Activates <e>[or deactivates]</e> the
    <c>make clean</c> command before compiling your kernel. The
    <c>make clean</c> command removes all object files and dependencies from
    the kernel's source tree.
  </li>
  <li>
    <b>--<c>no-</c>mrproper</b>: Activates <e>[or deactivates]</e> the
    <c>make mrproper</c> command before kernel compilation. Like the
    <c>make clean</c> command, <c>make mrproper</c> removes all object files
    and dependencies from the kernel's source tree. However, any previous
    configuration files (in <path>/path/to/sources/.config</path> or
    <path>/path/to/sources/.config.old</path>) will <b>also</b> be purged
    from the kernel's source tree.
  </li>
  <li>
    <b>--oldconfig</b>: Issues the <c>make oldconfig</c> command, which
    attempts to collect configuration information for the system's
    architecture from a generic script in <path>/usr/share/genkernel/</path>.
    This is a non-interactive process; no user input is entertained. Also, if
    <c>--oldconfig</c> is used in conjunction with <c>--clean</c>, the latter
    flag is negated, resulting in the activation of the <c>--no-clean</c>
    flag.
  </li>
</ul>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--callback="<c>echo hello</c>"</b>: Calls the specified arguments
      (<c>echo hello</c>, in this case) after the kernel and the relevant
      modules have been built, but before building the initrd image. This may
      be useful if you want to install external modules in the initrd image by
      emerging the relevant item(s) with the callback feature, and then
      redefining a genkernel module group.
   </li>
</ul>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--<c>no-</c>install</b>: Activates <e>[or deactivates]</e> the
      <c>make install</c> command, which installs your new kernel image,
      configuration file, initrd image and system map onto your mounted boot
      partition. Any compiled modules will be installed as well.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--<c>no-</c>initrdmodules</b>: Refrains from copying any modules to
      the genkernel-created initrd image. This flag is an exception to the rule
      about the <c>no-</c> prefix; omission of this prefix creates an invalid
      genkernel flag.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--genzimage</b>: Creates the initrd image, prior to the kernel image.
      (This hack currently applies only to PPC Pegasos systems.)
   </li>
</ul>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Compiler Flags</title>
<body>

<p>
The following flags are supported by genkernel, and are passed to the relevant
applications while the kernel is being assembled. These flags affect the
<e>compiler</e> used for the kernel compilation process, albeit at a much lower
level.
</p>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--kernel-cc=<c>someCompiler</c></b>: Specifies the compiler employed
      during the kernel compilation process.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--kernel-ld=<c>someLinker</c></b>: Specifies the linker employed
      during the kernel compilation process.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--kernel-as=<c>someAssembler</c></b>: Specifies the assembler employed
      during the kernel compilation process.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--kernel-make=<c>someMake</c></b>: Specifies an alternative to the
      <e>GNU make</e> utility employed during the kernel compilation process.
   </li>
</ul>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--utils-cc=<c>someCompiler</c></b>: Specifies the compiler employed
      during the compilation of support utilities.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--utils-ld=<c>someLinker</c></b>: Specifies the linker employed during
      the compilation of support utilities.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--utils-as=<c>someAssembler</c></b>: Specifies the assembler employed
      during the compilation of support utilities.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--utils-make=<c>someMake</c></b>: Specifies an alternative to the
      <e>GNU make</e> utility employed during the compilation of support
      utilities.
   </li>
</ul>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--makeopts=<c>-jX</c></b>: Specifies the number of concurrent threads
      that the make utility can implement while the kernel (and utilities) are
      being compiled. The variable <b>'X'</b> is a number obtained by adding
      one (1) to the number of CPUs used by the system. So, for a system with
      one CPU, the appropriate flag is <c>-j2</c>; a system with two CPUs will
      use the <c>-j3</c> flag, and so on. <e>(A system with one processor that
      supports Hyper-Threading&#8482; (HT) Technology can use the</e><c>-j3</c>
      <e>flag, provided Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) support is enabled in
      the kernel.)</e>
   </li>
</ul>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Debugging Flags</title>
<body>

<p>
The use debugging flags during the kernel compilation process controls the
amount of information reported, as well as the presentation of said data.
</p>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--debuglevel=<c>verblevel</c></b>: Controls the level of
      verbosity for information provided by genkernel. The variable
      <c>verblevel</c> is an integer between 0 and 5. The level '0' represents
      minimal output, while '5' provides as much information as possible about
      genkernel's activities during the kernel compilation process.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--debugfile=<path>/path/to/outputfile</path></b>: Ignores the value
      set by the <c>--debuglevel</c> argument, and sends <b>all</b> debugging
      data produced by genkernel to the specified output file, which is located
      at <path>/var/log/genkernel.log</path> by default.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--no-color</b>: Activates [or deactivates] colored output of debugging
      information (reported by genkernel) using escape sequences.
   </li>
</ul>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Initialization Flags</title>
<body>

<p>
The flags here are used to create certain effects during system startup. Some
of these flags are primarily for aesthetics, while others may be essential for
enabling certain features on the system.
</p>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--<c>no-</c>bootsplash</b>: Activates <e>[or deactivates]</e> support
      for <uri link="http://www.bootsplash.org/">bootsplash</uri> in the
      genkernel-built initrd image. The bootsplash feature is supported on a
      limited number of architectures, and a kernel that supports bootsplash
      is also required.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--<c>no-</c>gensplash</b>: Activates <e>[or deactivates]</e> support
      for <uri link="http://dev.gentoo.org/~spock/projects/gensplash/">gensplash</uri>
      support in the genkernel-built initrd image. The gensplash utility is
      intended to be a replacement for bootsplash, and is designed for use with
      2.6.x series kernels. To override the default theme used by gensplash,
      use <b>--gensplash=<c>PreferredTheme</c></b> (where <c>PreferredTheme</c>
      is the title of one of the directories inside the
      <path>/etc/splash/</path> directory.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--gensplash-res=<c>PreferredResolution</c></b>: This flag allows you
      to select which splash screen resolutions will be supported in the initrd
      during the start-up of the system. This is useful for two reasons: First,
      you are able to select only the splash screen resolution(s) relevant to
      your system. Second, you avoid the unnecessary increase in the disk space
      required by initrd (since the initrd does not have to support resolutions
      that are irrelevant for your system configuration.) However, you may want
      to omit this flag if the kernel is being compiled for an Installation CD;
      this allows gensplash support for all possible resolutions.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--do-keymap-auto</b>: Force keymap selection during the boot
      sequence.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--lvm2</b>: Includes support for storage using via <uri 
      link="http://sources.redhat.com/lvm2/">Logical Volume Management</uri>
      (LVM2) from <e>static</e> binaries, if available to the system. Relevant
      (static) LVM2 binaries are compiled if they are unavailable. Be sure to
      install the lvm2 package on your system with <c>emerge lvm2</c> before
      enabling this flag, and review the <uri
      link="http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/lvm2.xml">Gentoo LVM2
      Installation</uri> guide.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--evms2</b>: Includes support for storage using the <uri 
      link="http://evms.sourceforge.net/">Enterprise Volume Management
      System</uri> (EVMS2), if available. Be sure to install the evms package
      on your system with <c>USE=static emerge evms2</c> before using this
      (genkernel) flag. <e>(Omitting the </e><c>USE=static</c> <e>flag during
      package installation will fail to include the necessary static binaries.)
      </e>
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--dmraid</b>: Includes support for <uri 
      link="http://people.redhat.com/~heinzm/sw/dmraid/readme">DMRAID</uri>;
      the utility which creates RAID mappings using the kernel device-mapper
      subsystem. DMRAID discovers, activates, deactivates and displays
      properties of software RAID sets (ATARAID, for example) and contained
      DOS partitions.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--linuxrc=/path/to/your/linuxrc</b>: Specifies a user-created 
      <e>linuxrc</e> &#8212; a script that is initialized during the start-up
      stage of the kernel, prior to the actual boot process. (A default linuxrc
      script should be in the <path>/usr/share/genkernel/</path> directory.)
      This script allows you to boot into a small, modularized kernel and load
      the drivers that are needed (as modules) by the system.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--cachedir=/path/to/alt/dir/</b>: Overrides the default cache location
      used while compiling the kernel.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--tempdir=/path/to/new/tempdir/</b>: Specifies the location of the
      temporary directory used by genkernel while compiling the kernel.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--unionfs</b>: Includes support for the <uri 
      link="http://www.fsl.cs.sunysb.edu/project-unionfs.html">Unification File
      System</uri> in the initrd image.
   </li>
</ul>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Miscellaneous Flags</title>
<body>

<p>
The assortment of flags listed below are supported by genkernel, but do not fit
neatly into any of the other categories:
</p>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>--mountboot</b>: Detects whether or not the <path>/boot/</path>
      directory needs to be mounted on a separate partition. It will check 
      <path>/etc/fstab</path> script for instructions on how to mount the boot
      partition on a file system (if needed).
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>--kernname=<c>NickName</c></b>: Allows you to modify the name of the
      kernel and initrd images in the <path>/boot/</path> directory, so that
      the images produced are kernel-<c>NickName</c>-version and
      initramfs-<c>NickName</c>-version.
   </li>
</ul>

</body>
</section>


<section>
<title>Possible Actions</title>
<body>

<p>
An action tells genkernel what to build. Currently, the following actions are
supported:
</p>

<ul>
   <li><c>initrd</c>: Only builds the initrd image</li>
   <li><c>bzImage</c>: Only builds the kernel image</li>
   <li><c>kernel</c>: Only builds the kernel image and modules</li>
   <li><c>all</c>: Builds all stages &#8212; the initrd, kernel image and
   modules.</li>
</ul>

<p>
The last action, <c>all</c>, is recommended for most users since it builds the
stages required for a functional kernel. Remember, an <e>action</e> simply
tells genkernel what to <e>build</e>, not <e>install</e>.
</p>

</body>
</section>


<section>
<title>Bootloader Configuration</title>
<body>

<p>
To set up genkernel to work with your bootloader, three or four changes should
to the bootloader's configuration file:
</p>

<ol>
   <li>
      Add <c>root=/dev/ram0</c> and <c>init=/linuxrc</c> to the kernel
      parameters passed to the kernel image.
   </li>
   <li>
      Add <c>real_root=/dev/hda3</c>, for example, to the kernel parameters
      passed to the kernel image, if <path>/dev/hda3</path> contains your root
      partition.
   </li>
   <li>
      If you are using bootsplash, add a suitable mode line such as
      <c>vga=0x317</c> to the parameters passed to the kernel and also add
      <c>splash=verbose</c> or <c>splash=silent</c> depending on the
      verboseness you require from your bootloader.
   </li>
   <li>
      Add the initrd information as required by the bootloader. Consult the
      <uri link="/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&amp;chap=10">
      Bootloader Configuration Chapter</uri> of the Gentoo Handbook for details
      on how to make your bootloader initrd-aware.
  </li>
</ol>

</body>
</section>

</chapter>

<chapter>
<title>Configuration Options</title>

<section>
<title>Editing /etc/genkernel.conf</title>
<body>

<p>
Passing flags to genkernel from the command line can be cumbersome, especially
if you have about a dozen flags:
</p>

<pre caption="Running genkernel (overloaded with flags)">
# genkernel --debuglevel=5 --no-color --no-mrproper --clean --gensplash\ 
--kerneldir=/path/to/alternate/kernel/sources --install --menuconfig --udev\ 
--kernel-config=/path/to/preferred/configfile --save-config --mountboot all
</pre>

<p>Fortunately, there is a configuration file where most of the basic options
can be set (or changed) as necessary. What follows is a rundown of the more
relevant options:
</p>

<ul>
   <li>
      <b>MENUCONFIG=<c>[yes|no]</c></b>: This option is equivalent to the
      <c>--menuconfig</c> flag used by genkernel, which in turn uses the
      <c>make menuconfig</c> command to invoke a command-line based kernel
      configuration utility. To invoke the utility automatically during kernel
      configuration via this script, set this option to 'yes' here; otherwise,
      choose 'no'.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>CLEAN=<c>[yes|no]</c></b>: Setting this option to 'yes' is equivalent
      to the <c>--clean</c> flag used by genkernel, and invokes the
      <c>make clean</c> command to remove all object files and dependencies
      from the kernel's source tree. Setting this option to 'no' creates a
      cascade effect &#8212; it is equivalent to genkernel's <c>--no-clean</c>
      flag, which disables the <c>make clean</c> command and implies
      genkernel's <c>--no-mrproper</c> flag &#8212; essentially nullifying the
      <c>make mrproper</c> command.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>MRPROPER=<c>[yes|no]</c></b>: Setting this option to 'yes' is
      equivalent to <c>--mrproper</c> flag used by genkernel, and invokes the
      <c>make mrproper</c> command, which purges the kernel source tree of any
      configuration files. Selecting 'no' here is equivalent to genkernel's
      <c>--no-mrproper</c> flag, which disables the <c>make mrproper</c>
      command.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>MOUNTBOOT=<c>[yes|no]</c></b>: Setting this option to 'yes' is
      equivalent to the <c>--mountboot</c> flag, and automatically mounts the
      <path>/boot/</path> directory (if needed) at compile time. If the 
      <path>/boot/</path> directory is on a separate partition, consider
      enabling this option; it will make for one less (essential) step to
      remember later.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>SAVE_CONFIG=<c>[yes|no]</c></b>: After configuring the kernel, the
      selected options are stored as <path>.config</path> in the kernel source
      tree. This script may be overwritten during the next kernel compilation,
      or even purged from the kernel source tree. Choosing 'yes' here is
      equivalent to the <c>--save-config</c> flag, and stores all options
      selected during kernel configuration as a script in the
      <path>/etc/kernels/</path> directory. Choosing 'no' preserves the
      <e>status quo</e>.
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>USECOLOR=<c>[yes|no]</c></b>: Setting this option to 'yes' is
      equivalent to the <c>--color</c> flag, which colors genkernel's output
      to ease debugging (when needed.)
   </li>
   <li>
      <b>DEBUGLEVEL=<c>[0|1|2|3|4|5]</c></b>: This option is for adjusting the
      verbosity of the output produced by genkernel &#8212; setting this option
      to '0' with <c>--debuglevel=0</c> will suppress all output produced by
      genkernel; setting this option to '5' with <c>--debuglevel=5</c>
      provides the user with all output produced by genkernel.
   </li>
</ul>

<p>
By choosing the appropriate options in <path>/etc/genkernel.conf</path>, you
can halve the number of flags passed to genkernel from the command line:
</p>

<pre caption="Running genkernel (with flags), after employing genkernel.conf">
# genkernel --gensplash --kerneldir=/path/to/alternate/kernel/sources --udev\ 
--kernel-config=/path/to/preferred/configfile --install all
</pre>

<p>
Identical results are obtained from both approaches, but the latter has most of
the options stored in a script that can be modified at a later date.
</p>

</body>
</section>

</chapter>

<chapter>
<title>Network-Booting with genkernel</title>

<section>
<title>Network Booting from an Installation CD</title>
<body>

<p>
The genkernel utility can build kernel and initrd images that provide support
for network booting, or <e>netboot</e>ing . With any luck, you should be able
to netboot any recent computer into the environment provided by the
Installation CD.
</p>

<p>
The magic lies in genkernel's linuxrc script: it will try to <e>netmount</e>
the Installation CD using NFS. From there, <e>the init scripts</e> of the
Installation CD can take over, as if the CD was present locally.
</p>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Building Kernel and Initrd Images with Support for Netbooting</title>
<body>

<p>
To enable support for netbooting, include the following options while
configuring the kernel:
</p>

<warn>
Support for netbooting with genkernel is experimental and may contain bugs.
</warn>

<p>
First, the kernel image must include the drivers for your Network Interface
Cards (NIC). Normally, drivers for such devices will be compiled as modules.
However, it is essential (for netbooting) that you such drivers compiled
directly into the kernel image and <b>not</b> as modules.
</p>

<pre caption="Configuring a 2.6.x series kernel to support your NIC driver">
Device Drivers --->
   Networking Support --->
      Ethernet (10 or 100Mbit)  ---> 
         [*] Ethernet (10 or 100Mbit)  
         &lt;*&gt;   the driver for your network card
<comment>(Be sure to select &lt;*&gt; and not &lt;m&gt;)</comment>
</pre>

<p>
Secondly, we suggest that you enable <c>IP: kernel level
autoconfiguration</c> and the <c>IP: DHCP support</c> options. This avoids an
unnecessary layer of complexity since the IP address and the NFS path to the
Installation CD can be configured on a DHCP server. Of course, this means the
kernel command line will remain constant for any machine &#8212; which is very
important for <e>etherbooting</e>.
</p>

<pre caption="Configuring a 2.6.x series kernel to support DHCP">
Device Drivers --->
   Networking Support --->
      Networking options  
         [*] TCP/IP networking--->
         [*]   IP: kernel level autoconfiguration
         [*]     IP: DHCP support
<comment>(These options tell the kernel to send a DHCP request at bootup.)</comment>
</pre>

<p>
Additionally, you should enable SquashFS because most modern Gentoo
Installation CDs require it. Support for SquashFS is not included with the
generic kernel source tree. To enable SquashFS, apply the necessary patches to
the generic kernel source or install <c>gentoo-sources</c>.
</p>

<pre caption="Configuring the kernel to support SquashFS">
File systems---> 
   Miscellaneous filesystems --->
      [*] SquashFS 2.X - Squashed file system support
</pre>

<p>
Once the compilation process is completed, create a compressed <e>tarball</e>
(tar.gz) that contains the kernel's modules. This step is only necessary if
your kernel version does not match the kernel image version on the Installation
CD.
</p>

<pre caption="Creating a compressed tarball containing the kernel modules">
<comment># Create a tar.gz containing all the modules</comment>
cd /
tar -cf /tmp/modules-X.Y.Z.tar.gz /lib/modules/X.Y.Z/
</pre>

<p>
Depending on your network boot mechanism, you will need to do some of the
following steps:
</p>

<pre caption="Creating a boot image">
<comment># Create a etherboot image</comment>
emerge mknbi
cd /boot
mkelf-linux -params="root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ip=dhcp" kernel... initrd... > etherboot.img

<comment># Create a OpenBoot / SPARC64 TFTP image</comment>
emerge sparc-utils
cd /boot
elftoaout kernel... -o kernel.aout
piggyback64 kernel.aout System.map-... initrd-...
mv kernel.aout openboot.img <comment># This is the boot image</comment>

<comment># PXE does not need any more steps, the kernel and initrd can be used as is</comment>
</pre>

<p>
Finally, copy this kernel to your TFTP server. The details are
architecture-dependent and are beyond the scope of this guide. Please refer to
the documentation for your platform.
</p>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>NFS Setup</title>
<body>

<p>
To setup a NFS share that contains the Installation CD, use the loop device to
mount the ISO image and then copy the contents of the CD into the NFS share. As
a nice extra, genkernel's initrd scripts will extract all tar.gz files located
in the <path>/nfs/livecd/add/</path> directory. All you have to do here is copy
the <c>modules-X.Y.Z.tar.gz</c> archive to the <path>/nfs/livecd/add/</path>
directory.
</p>

<pre caption="Preparing the NFS share">
<comment># This assumes that /nfs/livecd is a exported NFS share</comment>
mount /mnt/cdrom /tmp/gentoo-livecd.iso -o loop
cp -p /mnt/cdrom /nfs/livecd
umount /mnt/cdrom

<comment># Copy the modules.tar.gz into /add</comment>
mkdir /nfs/livecd/add
cp /tmp/modules-X.Y.Z.tar.gz /nfs/livecd/add
</pre>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>DHCP Setup</title>
<body>

<p>
The netboot images will ask your DHCP server for an IP as well as a
root-path parameter.  Both can be specified per host using a MAC
address to identify machines:
</p>

<pre caption="Sample client dhcpd.conf setup">
...

host netbootableMachine {
         hardware ethernet 11:22:33:44:55:66;
         fixed-address 192.168.1.10;
         option root-path "192.168.1.2:/nfs/livecd";
}
<comment># Here, 192.168.1.2 is the NFS server
# While 192.168.1.10 will be the IP address of the netbooted machine</comment>
...
</pre>

</body>
</section>

<section>
<title>Netbooting Instructions</title>
<body>

<p>
Netbooting itself is again very platform-specific. The important part
is to specify the <c>ip=dhcp</c> and <c>init=/linuxrc</c> parameters
on the kernel command line, as this will bring up the
network interface and tell the initrd scripts to mount the Installation CD via
NFS. Here are some platform-specific tips:
</p>

<pre caption="Netbooting Instructions">
<comment># Etherboot - insert the etherboot disk into the drive and reboot
# The kernel command line was specified when the image was constructed</comment>

<comment># Sparc64 - Hit Stop-A at the boot prompt </comment>
ok boot net ip=dhcp init=/linuxrc

<comment># PXE - Setup pxelinux (part of syslinux), then create a pxelinux.cfg/default along the lines of:</comment>

DEFAULT gentoo
TIMEOUT 40
PROMPT 1

LABEL gentoo
        KERNEL kernel-X.Y.Z
        APPEND initrd=initrd-X.Y.Z root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ip=dhcp
</pre>

</body>
</section>

</chapter>

<chapter>
<title>Conclusion</title>

<section>
<title>To Automate or not to Automate?</title>
<body>

<p>
The purpose of genkernel is to provide an (easier) alternative to the
time-tested approach to kernel compilation. As always, you are free to decide
on whether or not you want to automate the kernel compilation process.
</p>

</body>
</section>

</chapter>

</guide>