Help! Lilo problems & perfect kernel

Nattie

I finally got thru the system emerge without any errors, but now I have one big doubt
What kernel should I use?????????? There are 30 options, and none has a nice description!

I tried the vanilla and followed the steps in the installation guide and decided to use lilo instead of grub, but my discs are no longer called /dev/hda1, they have become /dev/discs/disc0/part1 !!!! Whats going on?
Besides, the example lilo conf on the installation guide says something like /boot/message and /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20, but my boot directory only has a bzImage file and a forever recursive /boot/boot/boot/boot/boot/boot.... with the same content. What may have happened?
I also want some help in wich kernel options are necessary for everything work fine based on my personal settings. I have an Athlon1.33GHz, 256mb PC-133 RAM, 40GB ATA 100 WesternDigital HD, a HP-CD Writer, a SoundBlaster live, NVidia RIVA TNT video card, and a pppoe ADSL connection.

Please, help me. I'm confused, I never did these kernel-related stuff before.

Sargonas · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 7:34 pm Post subject:

did you mount your /boot directory before putting the kernel in there? that is the only way you should have a recusive boot dir in there, also I would recommend you using the gentoo sources because they have nice tweaks to the kernel sources. Also after you do a make modules_install mount /boot and do a make install and it will copy bzImage to the /boot and name it vmlinuz-(version) and copy yoru .config to /boot/config-(version)
_________________
I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure -- that is all Agnosticism means. - Clarence Darrow

Nattie

So I should have unmounted /boot before, huh? Why they do not say it explicitly in the docs? But ok, maybe unmounting and recompiling may resolve it?
I did not tried gentoo because I've read about many people having stability problems with it, and I'd like something less unstable. Choose the vanilla because i didnt know what the other 28 would exactly be.
Well, thanks, but I still need more explanation on the other available kernels. I'll try the unmount and see if it resolves my recursive problem. :)

fifo · Guru Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 437

The recursive thing is normal. It's just that /boot/boot is defined as a symlink to /boot, which it's supposed to be. (The reason for the symlink is so that grub can find the files it needs, regardless of whether /boot is in it's own partition or not.)

Just to clarify another point, the /boot partition should be mounted when copying the bzImage file to /boot. It should probably also be mounted when emerging lilo/grub or a kernel. When you umount /boot, the directory should then appear empty.

IMHO, going with vanilla-sources is a good choice, especially if your priority is stability.

Delphiki · Guru Joined: 04 Oct 2002 Posts: 337 Location: A2

The kernel that I've had the best experiences with is the ck-kernel. The gentoo kernel gave me problems with Java. The vanilla kernel is alright, but it doesn't have many of the nicer features like low latency and preemptive kernel patches, and other performance enhancements.
_________________
Excellent..

Nattie · Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 8:25 pm Post subject:

Ok, who is going to tell me a step-bt-step howto on Kernel compiling and Lilo configuration? After all these messages i got completely lost!!! Ahhh! Dont know exactly what to do!

Sargonas · Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 9:29 pm Post subject:

emerge your fav kernel choice:
mount /boot

make *config ( this is whatever config you use config, oldconfig, menuconfig, xconfig )

make dep
make clean bzImage modules modules_install install

install will automatically cp over bzImage to /boot/vmlinuz-(your kernel name) , create a symbolic link from that to vmlinuz, cp the .config file to /boot/config-(your kernel name) and if you want it to add lines to lilo for you

otherwise add a line like this to /etc/lilo.conf:

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=MySpiffyNewKernel
append=noinitrd
read-only
root=/dev/hda2

then run lilo.

IMHO grub is easier to set up and keep current though because all you have to do is change grub.conf

_________________
I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure -- that is all Agnosticism means. - Clarence Darrow

Nattie · Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 10:46 pm Post subject: Tks!

Thanks a lot. But I got an error running make clean bzImage etc etc etc install:
Warning, you system is probably unbootable now! After correcting any problems, please rerun this script with the command 'mkboot -installkernel'
Make[1] [install] Error 1
leaving directory /usr/src/linux-2.4.19/arch/i386/boot
make [install] Error 2

What may have I done wrong? :(

Sargonas · Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 3:02 am Post subject:

you have done nothing wrong it just could add itself to lilo or you didnt make a boot disk, this just means that you will have to add the lines to lilo manually . But your kernel and everything should be in /boot if it is mounted and after running lilo you should be fine

_________________
I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure -- that is all Agnosticism means. - Clarence Darrow

Nattie · Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 9:16 am Post subject: Hehe, I noticed it. ;)

Thank you veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery much. Now I am running my brand new Gentoo and emerging XFree. Life is beautiful. :D
I'd only change those weird Lilo colors to something less... colorful. But its not so important as having the system working. :)
Again, thank you. Now I am happy!