Building Linux kernels the Debian way

Last Updated on Saturday, 19 June 2010 11:13

This short article describes the quick and easy way on how to customize, build and install Linux kernel under Debian or Ubuntu Linux. First, we will install all prerequisites then download kernel source. Next step will be customization and as a last step we will create and install a Debian package with new Customized Linux kernel.

1. Prerequisites

Let's start with first step which is installation of all prerequisites:

# apt-get install bzip2  build-essential \ 
kernel-package libncurses5-dev

2. Kernel build and customization

Next step is to download kernel source code from kernel.org. Untar and cd inside the kernel's directory tree:

$ tar xvjf linux-2.6.34.tar.bz2
$ cd linux-2.6.34

At this point we will do the most important part of creating new customized kernel and building a Debian package. This is all done with a single make-kpkg command.

NOTE:

Optional step is to apply kernel patches before running a following command:

make-kpkg --rootcmd fakeroot --config menuconfig --initrd --us --uc kernel_image

• --us do not sign source
• --uc do not sign changelog
• --initrd perform any actions necessary for a kernel loaded using initrd
• -- rootcmd fakeroot command that provides a means of gaining super user access
• --config menuconfig will use menuconfig as a configuration tool where default is oldconfig

Please note that you can choose different configuration tool instead of menuconfig. For example, if you would like to use xconfig then your command would look like the one below:

make-kpkg --rootcmd fakeroot --config xconfig --initrd --us --uc kernel_image

You have to make sure that all prerequisites for xconfig are installed.
If you already have your .xconfig  Kernel configuration file ready ( for example the one delivered with your current kernel installation which can be found in /boot/config-<kernel-version> ) than simply copy it into kernel directory tree  as .config and execute:

make-kpkg --rootcmd fakeroot  --initrd --us --uc kernel_image

NOTE: If you get a following error message:

echo "The UTS Release version in include/linux/version.h"; echo "         
\"\" "; echo "does not match current version:"; echo "        
\"2.6.34\" "; echo "Please correct this."; exit 2
The UTS Release version in include/linux/version.h
           ""
does not match current version:
           "2.6.34"
Please correct this.
make[1]: *** [debian/stamp/install/linux-image-2.6.34] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/lilo/temp/linux-2.6.34'
make: *** [kernel_image] Error 2

Use a following command to fix this problem and re-run make-kpkg command:

$ cp include/generated/utsrelease.h include/linux/

3. Installation of Customized Linux Kernel

You new customized Linux kernel is now ready to be installed in form of Debian package.

$ cd ..
# dpkg -i linux-image-2.6.34_2.6.34-10.00.Custom_i386.deb

Now you are ready to reboot into new kernel. Good luck !

Share this linux post:

 

Comments for this page are closed !!!
Please visit our new Linux Forum for additional help or discussion.

---

Linux eBooks FREE Download