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<?xml version='1.0' encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/genkernel.xml,v 1.14 2005/06/11 10:41:31 plasmaroo Exp $ -->
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<!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd">
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<guide link="/doc/en/genkernel.xml">
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<title>Gentoo Linux Genkernel Guide</title>
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<author title="Author">
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<mail link="plasmaroo@gentoo.org">Tim Yamin</mail>
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</author>
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<abstract>
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This guide intends to provide a reference of all the functions
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provided by genkernel.
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</abstract>
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<license/>
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<version>1.1.2.2</version>
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<date>2005-06-11</date>
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<chapter>
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<title>Introduction</title>
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<section>
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<title>Introduction</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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Genkernel is designed to allow users who are not previously used to
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compiling a kernel to use a similar setup to that one that is used on
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the Gentoo LiveCDs which auto-detects your hardware.
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</p>
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<p>
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Some users may also be interested in using genkernel for hardware
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which requires initialization and a working kernel before it can be
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booted. Because genkernel also automatically compiles your kernel modules,
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thus allowing hardware which needs to be loaded with module parameters
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to be used.
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</p>
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</body>
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</section>
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<section>
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<title>Is genkernel for me?</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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Genkernel is often a good choice to those who are unused to compiling
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their own kernel or those who are not certain about their hardware
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configurations.
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</p>
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<p>
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Because genkernel is designed to use a generic configuration, it
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should be able to support all of your hardware - however, because all
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the drivers and modules have to be compiled as well, compiling a
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kernel by yourself is often much faster provided you know what you need.
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</p>
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<p>
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Genkernel does not however, currently support booting the sytem from
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LVM2/EVMS2 partitions. Users are recommended to use a manually compiled
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kernel for the time being.
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</p>
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</body>
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</section>
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<section>
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<title>Getting genkernel</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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You can obtain genkernel by simply running <c>emerge genkernel</c>. Don't
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forget to use the <c>-k</c> flag for emerge if you are using binary packages,
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i.e. GRP. Due to the GRP packages having an older version of genkernel, the
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flags are different. As a result, you should consult the <uri
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link="/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=10">
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Gentoo Handbook</uri> and <path>genkernel --help</path>.
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</p>
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</body>
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</section>
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<section>
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<title>Supported platforms</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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As of genkernel 3.0.2, the following platforms should be
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supported: alpha, amd64, parisc, parisc64, ppc, ppc64, sparc, sparc64, and x86.
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</p>
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</body>
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</section>
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</chapter>
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<chapter>
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<title>Genkernel usage</title>
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<section>
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<title>Introduction</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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Genkernel is designed to work in three modes:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>"all" mode: this builds the kernel and the initrd</li>
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<li>"kernel" mode: this only builds the kernel image</li>
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<li>"initrd" mode: this only builds the initrd</li>
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</ul>
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<p>
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Most users will only want the "all" mode, which runs the "kernel" mode
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and the "initrd" mode for you. <b>Note</b> that the "kernel" and "initrd"
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modes are currently just aliases for the "all" mode, so they will
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currently give you no special effect.
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</p>
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<p>
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Although genkernel is mainly a command to make your life easier when
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you need to compile a kernel, genkernel is also packed full of
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different flags which allow you to customize how your kernel is
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compiled or configured.
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</p>
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</body>
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</section>
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<section>
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<title>Genkernel compiler flags</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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Genkernel supports the following flags which are passed to the
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relevant applications when your kernel is assembled:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--kernel-as=<c>someAssembler</c></b>: This specifies an assembler which
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would be used for compiling your kernel.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--kernel-cc=<c>someCompiler</c></b>: This specifies a compiler which
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would be used for compiling your kernel.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--kernel-ld=<c>someLinker</c></b>: This specifies a linker which would
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be used for compiling your kernel.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--kernel-make=<c>someMake</c></b>: This specifies an alternate GNU make
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which would be used for compiling your kernel.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--utils-as=<c>someAssembler</c></b>: This specifies an assembler which
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would be used for compiling the support utilities.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--utils-cc=<c>someCompiler</c></b>: This specifies a compiler which
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would be used for compiling the support utilities.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--utils-ld=<c>someLinker</c></b>: This specifies a linker which would be
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used for compiling the support utilities.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--utils-make=<c>someMake</c></b>: This specifies an alternate GNU make
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which would be used for compiling the support utilities.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--makeopts=<c>-jJobs</c></b>: This specifies the flags which would be
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passed to GNU make when the kernel and utilities are being compiled.
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</li>
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</ul>
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</body>
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</section>
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<section>
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<title>Genkernel kernel flags</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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Genkernel supports the following flags, some of which have
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<c>--<b>no-</b>option</c> equivalents that influence
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kernel compilation:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--callback="echo Hello"</b>: This routine calls the specified
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arguments after the kernel and the relevant modules have been built; but
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before the initrd has been built. This is useful where you might want
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external modules installed to the initrd by emerging the relevant item
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using the callback and then redefinining a genkernel module group.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--<c>no-</c>clean</b>: This runs <e>or does not
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run</e> <c>make clean</c> before compiling your kernel. This
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causes all object files and dependencies to be removed.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--<c>no-</c>mrproper</b>: This runs <e>or does not
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run</e> <c>make mrproper</c> before compiling your kernel. This
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causes all object files, dependencies <b>and your
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configuration</b> to be removed.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--kerneldir=<path>/path/to/sources</path></b>: This specifies an
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alternative kernel source location, instead of the default location of
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<path>/usr/src/linux</path>.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--kernel-config=<path>/path/to/config-file</path></b>: This specifies an
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alternative kernel configuration which would be used; rather than the
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inpersistant <path>/path/to/sources/.config</path> which is used by
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default.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--<c>no-</c>bootsplash</b>: This adds <e>or does not add</e> bootsplash
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support in the initrd which genkernel builds. Not all architectures
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currently support bootsplash, and a kernel that supports bootsplash is
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also required.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--<c>no-</c>menuconfig</b>: This runs <e>or does not run</e> the kernel
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menu-based configurator before building your kernel, after <c>make
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oldconfig</c> has run.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--no-initrdmodules</b>: This doesn't copy any modules to the initrd
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which genkernel creates.
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--<c>no-</c>install</b>: This installs <e>or does not install</e> your
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kernel, modules, and initrd once the compilation has finished.
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</li>
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</ul>
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</body>
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</section>
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<section>
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<title>Genkernel miscellaneous flags</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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Genkernel also supports some miscellaneous flags which do not fit into
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the other two categories:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--arch-override=<c>someArch</c></b>: This flag can be used to override
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what architecture genkernel thinks you're on, if the auto-detection
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mechanism fails (please file a bug if it does!) or if you wish to
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cross-compile a kernel.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--busybox-config=<path>/path/to/busybox-config</path></b>: This
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overrides the default busybox configuration with the specifid file
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</li>
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<li>
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<b>--busybox-bin=<path>/path/to/busybox-binary.tar.bz2</path></b>: Using
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this option means that a busybox binary would not be compiled, and the
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specified tarball would be used. Note that busybox <e>must</e> be compiled
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statically!
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</li>
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</ul>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<b>--minkernpackage=<path>/output/to/yourkernel.tar.bz2</path></b>: This
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flag outputs a tarball of the kernel, named as <path>kernel</path> and the
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initrd named as <path>initrd</path> to the specified file. No path
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information or modules will be included in the tarball.
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</li>
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</ul>
|
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</body>
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| 298 |
</section>
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| 299 |
<section>
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<title>Running genkernel</title>
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<body>
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<p>
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All that is needed to run genkernel is just genkernel with the
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necessary flags as root. For example:
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</p>
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<pre caption="Running genkernel">
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# genkernel --menuconfig --no-clean --no-install --bootsplash all
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<comment>(Would produce a kernel, asking you how to configure it
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to your desire, leaving alone any compiled object files, enabling
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bootsplash support but not installing anything.)</comment>
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</pre>
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<p>
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If you want genkernel to install your kernel as well, you must ensure
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that your <path>/boot</path> partition is mounted - recent genkernels
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would automatically attempt to do this for you if MOUNTBOOT is set to
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"yes" in <path>/etc/genkernel.conf</path>.
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</p>
|
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<pre caption="Mounting your /boot manually">
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<comment>(If /boot is a valid entry in /etc/fstab:)</comment>
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# mount /boot
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<comment>(... otherwise for IDE disks:)</comment>
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# mount /dev/hda1 /boot
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<comment>(... and for SCSI disks:)</comment>
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# mount /dev/sda1 /boot
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</pre>
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</body>
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| 332 |
</section>
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<section>
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| 334 |
<title>Setting up genkernel to work with your bootloader</title>
|
| 335 |
<body>
|
| 336 |
|
| 337 |
<p>
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To set up genkernel to work with your bootloader, three or four changes are
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required to your bootloader configuration.
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</p>
|
| 341 |
|
| 342 |
<ol>
|
| 343 |
<li>
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Add <c>root=/dev/ram0</c> and <c>init=/linuxrc</c> to the
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kernel parameters passed to the kernel image.
|
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</li>
|
| 347 |
<li>
|
| 348 |
Add <c>real_root=/dev/hda3</c>, for example, to the kernel parameters
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| 349 |
passed to the kernel image, if <path>/dev/hda3</path> contains your root
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partition.
|
| 351 |
</li>
|
| 352 |
<li>
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If you are using bootsplash, add a suitable modeline such as
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<c>vga=0x317</c> to the parameters passed to the kernel and also add
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<c>splash=verbose</c> or <c>splash=silent</c> depending on the verboseness
|
| 356 |
you require from your bootsplash.
|
| 357 |
</li>
|
| 358 |
<li>
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| 359 |
Add the initrd according to how your bootloader requires it: see the <uri
|
| 360 |
link="/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=10">Gentoo
|
| 361 |
Handbook</uri> for details on how you would do it for your bootloader.
|
| 362 |
</li>
|
| 363 |
</ol>
|
| 364 |
|
| 365 |
</body>
|
| 366 |
</section>
|
| 367 |
<section>
|
| 368 |
<title>Kernel Configuration Files</title>
|
| 369 |
<body>
|
| 370 |
|
| 371 |
<p>
|
| 372 |
Genkernel will save your kernel config in <path>/etc/kernels</path> and use that
|
| 373 |
config whenever you issue <c>genkernel</c> again. If you want to start off again
|
| 374 |
with the defaults, rename the file in <path>/etc/kernels</path>. Genkernel will
|
| 375 |
then use the kernel config located in
|
| 376 |
<path>/usr/share/genkernel/<arch></path> instead.
|
| 377 |
</p>
|
| 378 |
|
| 379 |
</body>
|
| 380 |
</section>
|
| 381 |
</chapter>
|
| 382 |
|
| 383 |
<chapter>
|
| 384 |
<title>Porting genkernel</title>
|
| 385 |
<section>
|
| 386 |
<title>Introduction</title>
|
| 387 |
<body>
|
| 388 |
|
| 389 |
<p>
|
| 390 |
Provided your architecture has all the required libraries and utilties
|
| 391 |
which genkernel requires, which includes but it is not limited to a
|
| 392 |
working kernel for your architecture, working compiler suite, GNU
|
| 393 |
make, and a working busybox distribution, you're all set to go!
|
| 394 |
</p>
|
| 395 |
|
| 396 |
<p>
|
| 397 |
For each architecture, genkernel uses
|
| 398 |
<path>/usr/share/genkernel/$archName</path> for configuration files for
|
| 399 |
that architecture.
|
| 400 |
</p>
|
| 401 |
|
| 402 |
</body>
|
| 403 |
</section>
|
| 404 |
<section>
|
| 405 |
<title>How the system bootstrapping works</title>
|
| 406 |
<body>
|
| 407 |
|
| 408 |
<ol>
|
| 409 |
<li>
|
| 410 |
The bootloader loads the genkernel image, built to the specification of the
|
| 411 |
configuration files in the genkernel directories as well as the initrd
|
| 412 |
which is prepared by genkernel.
|
| 413 |
</li>
|
| 414 |
<li>
|
| 415 |
The kernel boots up, allocates a small amount of RAM in which busybox is
|
| 416 |
initialized, which probes the system with the modules in the modules_load
|
| 417 |
list for the architecture.
|
| 418 |
</li>
|
| 419 |
<li>
|
| 420 |
Once done, and providing that the <c>real_root</c> parameter which is the
|
| 421 |
root boot device as busybox sees things is found, the system is booted from
|
| 422 |
the device.
|
| 423 |
</li>
|
| 424 |
</ol>
|
| 425 |
|
| 426 |
</body>
|
| 427 |
</section>
|
| 428 |
<section>
|
| 429 |
<title>The configuration files</title>
|
| 430 |
<body>
|
| 431 |
|
| 432 |
<ul>
|
| 433 |
<li>
|
| 434 |
<path>busy-config</path>: This is the configuration which is used to build
|
| 435 |
busybox for your architecture.
|
| 436 |
</li>
|
| 437 |
<li>
|
| 438 |
<path>config.sh</path>: This is a shell script which sets various internal
|
| 439 |
genkernel variables. See one of the <path>config.sh</path> files for an
|
| 440 |
example.
|
| 441 |
</li>
|
| 442 |
<li>
|
| 443 |
<path>modules_load</path>: This is a file containing a space-delimited list
|
| 444 |
of modules which are loaded for SCSI, FireWire, ATARAID and PCMCIA support.
|
| 445 |
If none are available for your platform, leave the fields blank. See one of
|
| 446 |
the <path>modules_load</path> files for an example.
|
| 447 |
</li>
|
| 448 |
</ul>
|
| 449 |
|
| 450 |
<ul>
|
| 451 |
<li>
|
| 452 |
<path>kernel-config</path>: A default kernel configuration used for any
|
| 453 |
kernel version.
|
| 454 |
</li>
|
| 455 |
<li>
|
| 456 |
<path>kernel-config-2.4</path>: A default kernel configuration used for 2.4
|
| 457 |
series kernels.
|
| 458 |
</li>
|
| 459 |
<li>
|
| 460 |
<path>kernel-config-2.6</path>: A default kernel configuration used for 2.6
|
| 461 |
series kernels.
|
| 462 |
</li>
|
| 463 |
</ul>
|
| 464 |
|
| 465 |
</body>
|
| 466 |
</section>
|
| 467 |
</chapter>
|
| 468 |
</guide>
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