Installing a native kernel
Since you are about to upgrade system files, you need to become 'root'. To do this, type:bash$ suIt is highly advisable to keep a backup of your current kernel and modules. What you need to do is machine dependent. Note that it is a good idea to always keep a known good previous version of the kernel and modules in case you need to back down to a previous version.
Password:
bash#
The following is given as an example (for a 2.4.3-rmk1 kernel):
bash# cd /lib/modulesNow, install the new kernel modules:
bash# mv 2.4.3-rmk1 2.4.3-rmk1.old
bash# cd /boot
bash# mv vmlinuz vmlinuz.bak
bash# mv System.map System.map.bak
bash#
bash# cd $HOME/linuxThis will copy the modules into the /lib/modules/x.y.z directory. Next, install the kernel image (normally into /boot):
bash# make modules_install
bash#
bash# cd /boot
bash# cat $HOME/linux/arch/arm/boot/zImage >vmlinuz
bash# cp $HOME/linux/System.map .
bash#
Note that the command to copy the new kernel image is cat and is not the usual cp. Unix traditionally will not allocate space on the filesystem to sections of files containing zero data, but instead creates "holes" in the file. Some kernel loaders do not understand files with holes in, and therefore using cat in this way ensures that this does not happen.
Running loadmap
Loadmap is part of the Linux loader on Acorn machines, as well as EBSA285 machines using EBSA285BIOS with an IDE disk. For other machines, please refer to the documentation for your machine.Edit the loader configuration file /etc/boot.conf so that you can boot either the vmlinuz.bak or vmlinuz images. If you place the vmlinuz kernel first, then this will be the default kernel which the kernel loader will use.
More information can be found by typing man boot.conf.
Run the boot loader map utility:
bash# loadmap -vto update the maps.
bash#
You have finished, and are now ready to reboot your machine and try out your new kernel! If you experience problems, please go to the "Problems" step below.
Installing a cross compiled kernel
Kernel modules are installed into the /lib/modules/x.y.z directory on the target system, though this will normally be a different directory on the host system. Where this directory is depends on your setup, but we will call it $TARGETDIR.Install the modules into $TARGETDIR as follows:
bash$ make modules_install INSTALL_MOD_PATH=$TARGETDIRThis will place the modules into the $TARGETDIR/lib/modules/x.y.z directory on the host, which can then be placed into an suitable filesystem, or transferred to the target machine. Please also note that you must not install these kernel modules into the hosts root filesystem (eg by omitting INSTALL_MOD_PATH or giving $TARGETDIR as "/"), since they are incompatible with your host kernel and therefore may leave you with an unbootable host system.
bash$
The kernel will be available in $HOME/linux/arch/arm/boot/zImage and the kernel symbol information in $HOME/linux/System.map. Exactly how do install this is outside the scope of this document.
It is important that you keep the System.map file safe - it contains the symbolic information for this kernel, which will be required if you need to debug or report a problem.