[PADS] Compiling a kernel the Debian Way

[Mike Leone]

--zhXaljGHf11kAtnf
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

OK. So let's make use of some bandwidth, shall we?

I have a machine, currently running kernel 2.4.19 (this is LibraNet v2.7, if
anyone else follows that distribution). Anyways, what with both Debian and
Gentoo having been hit with root compromises due to kernel bugs, I figure
it's time for me to upgrade my company's DMZ mail server. Usually, I do this
the old-fashioned, manual way - make dep clean; etc.

But I figure it's Debian (testing), so I should make use of the Debian
tools. I am a bit leery of downloading binary kernels, so I thought I should
be downloading and installing the source, and then making the kernel binary
package myself. However, I've never gotten that to work right, in the past
(that's why I do it manually).

So what EXACTLY is the procedure, to download new source/headers; recompile
using same options that are in the running kernel; make a kernel package;
install said kernel package .. AND - most important - still be able to boot
back into the currently running kernel, if it all goes south on me?

This machine uses grub as a boot loader, BTW. It's a Dell machine, IDE,
nothing fancy or interesting in terms of video, no SCSI, etc. It's a P2-266.
Like all default LibraNet installs, it uses ReiserFS. Partition breaks down
like this:

/dev/hda2  /               reiserfs defaults                     0      1
/dev/hda1  /boot           ext2     defaults,errors=3Dremount-ro   0      2
/dev/hda3  /tmp            reiserfs defaults                     0      2
/dev/hda4  /var            reiserfs defaults                     0      2
proc       /proc           proc     defaults                     0      0
/dev/fd0   /floppy         auto     defaults,user,noauto         0      0
/dev/hdc  /cdrom  iso9660  defaults,user,noauto,ro  0  0


The latest kernel is a 2.4.23, isn't it? I want to be able to have the
choice on booting, of which kernel to use, so I can back down to 2.4.19, if
2.4.23 bombs out for some reason.

(some of you may remember me bring up kernel recompiling at the last PLUG
meeting; this is why :-) Can't afford to have this machine down, especially
=66rom a political point of view. It was my idea and expertise, to use a Li=
nux
server as a DMZ mailhub in the first place).

Thanks

--zhXaljGHf11kAtnf
Content-Type: application/pgp-signature
Content-Disposition: inline

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.2 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQE/1zdgmrQe9lqlvN8RAlXRAKC9oyWnUIFSRNLnbbo0RiGMR3IxQACg4iO4
3IjQkIr16Khx92Xp8osdhWc=
=Ysmj
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

--zhXaljGHf11kAtnf--