Fwd: Compiling kernel

[Phil Meyer]

Fernando Apesteguía wrote:
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Fernando Apesteguía <fernando.apesteguia at gmail.com>
> Date: Dec 25, 2007 1:28 PM
> Subject: Compiling kernel
> To: For users of Fedora <fedora-list at redhat.com>
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I have a problem when I try to compile the latest kernel for my FC6. I
> downloaded kernel-2.6.22.14-72.fc6.src.rpm.
> I'm following the instructions in
> http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Docs/CustomKernel?highlight=%28kernel%29
> as I did successfully before.
>
> However, now, when I reach point 6 under "Configuring kernel options"
> I see, there are not config-<arch> files anymore (as there were with
> the kernel-2.6.22.9-61) but only these two files:
>
> config-rhel-generic      config-rhel-x86-generic
>
> What are these two RH Enterprise files for?
>
> Why this changed?
> Can any of you give me some ideas on how to compile the kernel in the
> "Fedora way"?
>
> Thanks in advance... and Merry Christmas!
>
> ----------------------------------------------
>
> Hi again,
>
>
> No one on this issue? Is this a problem in the last FC6 kernel? Are
> those files (config-<arch>) present in the .src.rpm packages on F8?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>   
This is what I get:

->rpm -qlp kernel-2.6.23.9-85.fc8.src.rpm | grep config
Makefile.config
config-debug
config-generic
config-i586
config-i686
config-i686-PAE
config-ia64
config-ia64-generic
config-nodebug
config-powerpc-generic
config-powerpc32-generic
config-powerpc32-smp
config-powerpc64
config-powerpc64-kdump
config-rhel-generic
config-rhel-x86-generic
config-s390x
config-sparc64
config-sparc64-generic
config-sparc64-smp
config-x86-generic
config-x86_64-generic
config-xen-generic
config-xen-ia64
config-xen-x86
config-xen-x86_64
linux-2.6-build-nonintconfig.patch
linux-2.6-pass-g-to-assembler-under-config_debug_info.patch

And all of the hardware specific ones are just 8 lines or so.
config-generic has all of the usual stuff.

I am trying to modify the 8250 serial driver for some embedded systems, 
and its a real pain.
After 4 builds (about an hour each on my laptop) I came to the same 
conclusion you have.

Its still a mystery to me how to preserve my config changes.  It used to 
be that I could copy my config back to the SOURCES directory (don't 
forget to add # i386 to the top) and the next rpmbuild would copy it 
back in and use it.  Now that method does not work.

Here is the relevant output from the rpmbuild:

+ cp /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-debug 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/co
nfig-generic /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-i586 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOU
RCES/config-i686 /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-i686-PAE 
/home/pmeyer/rpmb
uild/SOURCES/config-ia64 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-ia64-generic /home
/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-nodebug 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-olp
c-generic /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-powerpc-generic 
/home/pmeyer/rpmb
uild/SOURCES/config-powerpc32-generic 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-power
pc32-smp /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-powerpc64 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SO
URCES/config-powerpc64-kdump 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-rhel-generic /
home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-rhel-x86-generic 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURC
ES/config-s390x /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-sparc64 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbui
ld/SOURCES/config-sparc64-generic 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-sparc64-s
mp /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-x86-generic 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCE
S/config-x86_64-generic /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-xen-generic 
/home/p
meyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-xen-ia64 
/home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-xen-
x86 /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/config-xen-x86_64 .

OK, it copies ALL of the config files over, even for a targeted build.  
No big deal, yet.

+ make -f /home/pmeyer/rpmbuild/SOURCES/Makefile.config VERSION=2.6.23.9 
configs

This make is hard coded to use config-generic + targeted arch.

So, what is the proper method?

1. Modify SOURCES/config-generic?
     I doubt that this is what the authors intended.

2. Modify the SOURCES/config-ARCH?
    This is likely, BUT there is no indication of what to put in there.  
Is there a special syntax to make the above work?  And what about the 
times when I want to use gconfig to make some modifications?  That will 
create a .config that is the equivalent of the config-generic file.

VERY confusing.

Further clarification and enlightenment is needed.

Thanks!