Compiling my own kernel

[Tsarevich]

I know there are tutorials for this all right, I am not stupid to post a new thread straight away. Compiling a kernel is a hectic task. When I compiled CRUX kernel, most components were already selected. When I downloaded a new one, they were not. I want to compile my new kernel for openSUSE. I want to know which compenents are selected by default. How can I go about it?

Before I do so, I want to know if I need to compile my kernel to include the intelfb driver. vesafb is already compiled in, but I am irritated after I do not get the resolution I want (1440*900). I ran a thread on their own forum and realized that compiling a kernel is the only way out. Can anyone help me out with this?

[Freston]

I want to know which compenents are selected by default. How can I go about it?

The defaults of the kernel are overwritten by the .config (indeed, a hidden file) in the Linux source directory.

To import your current config run

zcat /proc/config.gz > /path/to/linux-source/.config
# And proceed
make oldconfig

I usually use this howto, although it's for Slackware you may find some good info in it.

[Segfault]

Make targets are described in README file, like make defconfig. Why they call it README, what you think?

make oldconfig method is not supported between kernel versions (like 2.6.28 to 2.6.29). It may work, but make oldconfig cannot follow changes when something is moved in kernel configuration tree.
It's meant to be used between minor version changes (like 2.6.29-r1 to 2.6.29-r2).

[Tsarevich]

I managed to do that with make cloneconfig. I googled it for openSUSE 11.1 but 10.2 was the latest I could get.

I have a new problem. I changed the vesafb to intelfb in xorg.conf, and I rebooted, X would not start. It said intelfb was not found. I changed it back to vesafb and same was what I got. How can I be sure this way that intelfb is not in my kernel? vesafb is, but after modification, it is not. I was looking into the kernel's menuconfig and all Intel related modules were already selected in the Graphics section. How do I start x? How do I correctly change it to intelfb?

[lucho]

An easy (albeit tedious) way is to directly read the config file. Using gedit/kate/whatever, open up /boot/config-<your kernel version>
Look for intelfb and make sure it's there. Chances are, it was compiled as a module; in that case modprobe the module.

Hope that makes sense.

[Tsarevich]

I can't even start x now vesafb is "not found" either.

[i92guboj]

Are you speaking about console or X drivers? They are not quite the same, and framebuffer (hence the "fb") is usually used for plain text console, and not X (though there's at least a framebuffer driver for X, but I never used it).

The vesa driver for X is called "vesa", and not "vesafb". There's no "intelfb" driver for X either, I think that the driver for X in your case would be just "intel", I am not sure though (an intel user will give better adivce).

But, in any case, first clear this for us: what you are exactly trying to set, the resolution *inside* X or *outside* X? These are two different things and are configured separately, unless you are going into KMS anyways.

[Tsarevich]

X drivers. What I did was just to change vesafb to intelfb in /etx/X11/xorg.conf > Monitor section. from then onwards, I have never been able to start KDE using startx command. It says intelfb is not found. I reverted to vesafb. Still it says the same, vesafb not found. Now how do I search the file lucho told me to do so? I cannot run kate/kwrite. And before reinstalling, how do I know it is actually intel driver I should use (and it will be there). But why did it use vesafb by default in xorg.conf?

[i92guboj]

X drivers. What I did was just to change vesafb to intelfb in /etx/X11/xorg.conf

As said, I am fairly sure that neither "vesafb" or "intelfb" do exist. I can't be 100% sure of course, since they might be some distro specific drivers or some other stuff that I am not aware of. But I am sure that "vesa" and "intel" exist, so I'd start by trying those.

Now how do I search the file lucho told me to do so? I cannot run kate/kwrite.

less, nano, vim are just some of the viewers you can use in command line to look into a file, you could also use a simple "cat" assuming that the file is short enough.

And before reinstalling, how do I know it is actually intel driver I should use (and it will be there). But why did it use vesafb by default in xorg.conf?

lspci will list your hardware, amongst the output lines you will find one which will tell you what your graphics chip is.

[Tsarevich]

An easy (albeit tedious) way is to directly read the config file. Using gedit/kate/whatever, open up /boot/config-<your kernel version>
Look for intelfb and make sure it's there. Chances are, it was compiled as a module; in that case modprobe the module.

Hope that makes sense.

Dare anyone read this file. I am not sure which module should be it. There are numerous with the name INTEL in them.