RHEL 5 kernel issue.

[linuxnewbie435]

Hi,

we bought a board with vortex 86x processor.
we tried to install RHEL6 beta version.
when we select the installation choice we were getting below error
"This kernel requires an i586 cpu, but only detected an i486 cpu.
Unable to boot please use a kernel appropritate for your cpu."

we have contacted the board personal.
he said(in his words)"If you need to use redhat, you have to use the config & patch file provided in the development note to develop a kernel which is suitable for redhat."

how can we achieve this?

Could any one provide me the documentation/tutorials
to develop the kernel using the config & patch files?

we also want to know, is this a complicated task??

thanks in advance,
linuxnewbie

[linuxnewbie435]

No reply..
Did i place my question in wrong place??

[coopstah13]

I don't think it is that no one wanted to help, but your problem is fairly complicated to solve. I would check the docs provided by the board manufacturer for how to do it, given that they have a config and a patch for it.

Most likely, you will need to have a host machine where you compile the kernel for the target platform using the RHEL6 kernel sources with the patch and config necessary. Then you will have to modify the boot ISO to contain your kernel. Also, the RPM that installs the kernel during the installer will have to be overridden to contain this custom kernel you have.

Perhaps easier is to find an OS that has a target platform of i486 or i386 and higher. I think RHEL 5 is i386 target.

[Rubberman]

Impatient are we? Many of us who try to help people like you have other work to do - we respond when we have the time.

The RHEL6 beta version requires a pentium-class (i586 or i686) processor. Your's appears to the installer as a 486-class processor. Hence the problem you are experiencing. So, the short answer is that you cannot use RHEL6 beta on your system. It may be that they will provide an i386 version when released officially, but you are SOL for the beta version.

[linuxnewbie435]

@coopstah13,@rubberman: thank you very much for ur response.
Board details are: icop VDX-6318.
Board requires kernel 2.6.29 or higher and arch is i486.
Board provided with the config & patch files.
could any one give the docs for
How can we compile the kernel using config & Patch files?
how can we modify the boot ISO to contain the compiled kernel?
how to override the rpm installer?

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RHEL 5 kernel is 2.6.18. i need 2.6.29. can i compile new kernel in RHEL 5?
i have a doubt: my board is i486 arch, can i use RHEL5 (i386) as my host to compile new kernel?
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@rubberman: i can understand your situation. i am not impatient but not confident on placing the question in this place. any way i know you ppl help a lot. thank you once again.


linuxnewbie

[Rubberman]

Do you have to run RHEL6 beta on this system? It should be simple enough to build the kernel on your RHEL5 host, but whether or not it will work on the board is another question. Configuring and building the kernel is not particularly difficult, but there are a number of steps that must be taken to do so. You will find instructions on the Red Hat web site either as FAQ's or in a Wiki. Check in the developers' section.

[coopstah13]

I think rhel5 is i386 compatible, so you should be all set, did you try it?

[linuxnewbie435]

coopstah13@RHEL5 is not compatible as it is having the kernel 2.6.18 but the board requires 2.6.29 or higher.

Do you have to run RHEL6 beta on this system?

yes RHEL 6 is required as it is having the kernel 2.6.32(as board requires 2.6.29).

I think i should take RHEL5 and the build a kernel 2.6.29 using the config & patch file and should follow the steps where coopstah said earlier to install the OS in my board.

or i should go with RHEL6 i386 version may be it suites.

i understood that config file is required for taking the configurations of the system.
why do we require patch file??
i have gone through the sites for compiling the kernel using the config file. but dint get why the patch file required.

i am very confused what to do .

thanks to all
linuxnewbie.

[MikeTbob]

I think you'd save yourself a lot of time and trouble by using a different version of Linux, as mention by coopstah13 Is there a good reason for not using something else?
Here is a link for compiling kernels with patches. You'll have to adapt the commands and syntax to your system.
How to compile the Linux kernel | TuxRadar Linux

[Rubberman]

If there is an i386 version of RHEL6 then that is what you want. However, you can build an RHEL6 kernel with RHEL5. Heck, I build Debian kernels for ARM on my CentOS 5 system (x86_64).