Installing using GRP - How to install the kernel ?

Jemt · n00b Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 6

Hi experts :)

I was wondering how to install a kernel for my Gentoo system. I am using the manual here :
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/2005.0/handbook-x86.xml?full=1#book_part1_chap7

As you can see I am adviced to do an 'emerge gentoo-sources' - but isn't that a mistake? It /should/ be a manual for performing a Networkless Installation. What I would like to do is to install a prebuild, generic kernel using the Live CD og Package CD.

I would /really/ appriciate some help. This has kept me from using Gentoo for quite some years - thanks :)

lnxz · Guru Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 472 Location: Earth

Genkernel is a tool that will allow you to automaticly build a kernel, if that is what you're after, but it's really way better to do this yourself, because this gives you experience and enables you to customize the kernel to fit exactly your needs.

I do believe that a kernel of some sort is included amongst the GRP packages, and if it isn't then the GRP thingy is really silly, because you need to have a kernel to be able to build a system.
What happens when you run emerge gentoo-sources?

djm · Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:13 am Post subject:

The universal liveCD should have kernel sources on it (you might have to find out which version it is, and explicitly emerge that version)

There are no packages of prebuilt kernels, but it is possible to copy the kernel that the liveCD uses
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Jemt · n00b Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 6

lnxz > I know about Genkernel. What I don't understand is, that the manual dosn't explain how to build or install the kernel when performing a connectionless installation. Well, the manual is far from perfects - that's for sure :)

Anyways - I still can't seem to figure out how to install the kernel. I have chrooted into my new environment - but what do I do now? Where is the kernel, how do I install it etc?

By the way - I am /not/ interested in building my own kernel. Don't see why I should use hours and hours to build something that has already been build. Yes yes, I know that you might get like 500% more performance - don't really care. I prefer keeping things simple :)

djm > How do I emerge something from the CD? Are you sure that there is no prebuild kernel available?

- Thanks for all your help so far :)

lnxz · Guru Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 472 Location: Earth

I've never used either genkernel or tried a netless install, I just assumed there would be a package containing a kernel source from which the user could compile a working kernel, I didn't mean a prebuilt kernel.

djm · Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:16 pm Post subject:

nixnut · Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:23 pm Post subject:

Jemt · n00b Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 6

Thanks all your guys. I'll give it a try :)

Jemt · n00b Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 6

nixnut > Btw - It is exactly what I want - a generic kernel like the one on the LiveCD. I want full hardware support so that I don't haft to rebuild og re-compile my kernel every time i buy new hardware :)

How do I copy the nessacery files from the live CD to my system? I'm not really sure where to look for them or where to copy them.

lnxz · Guru Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 472 Location: Earth

Haven't looked around on the livecd for a while so I can't really remember.
Isn't there a /boot directory on the livecd? If there is, that's where the kernel resides, the biggest file is probably the kernel, and you probably need the initrd file, it there is one.
I think also the config for the livecd kernel can be found in /proc/config.gz.
Insinde chroot do "emerge <kernel>".
Exit chroot, run "gzcat /proc/config.gz > /mnt/gentoo/usr/src/linux", run "make && make modules_install" inside /mnt/gentoo/usr/src/linux, then copy /mnt/gentoo/usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage to /mnt/gentoo/boot.
/usr/src/linux is a just a symlink to the folder where the actual kernel source resides, so you have to make sure it exists.
Haven't done this myself from the live cd, so you probably have to adjust commands and paths according to your system and the live cd.

zieloo · Veteran Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 1337