How to made a new kernel

[Zaqen]

hi, i need to make a new kernel to my fog server 5.15 to support r8169 network interface client.

this uri is ok or obsolete ?

https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php/Build_TomElliott_Kernel#Download_the_Kernel

Why TomEliot don’t make a new kernel to new hardware support ?

[Zaqen]

Ca you help me please ?

I try to doing this :
https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Building_a_Custom_Kernel

I don’t found file : kitchensink.config

howto say :
Copy the .config file from the fog release package which is located in the Fog Setup ./kernel directory:
cp /opt/fog-setup/fog_0.29/kernel/kitchensink.config /usr/src/linux-2.6.35.3/.config

I don’t have kernel directory

in my /opt directory have fogproject-1.5.9 directory, and i don’t have .config file.
I try : find . -name config or .config
Nothing

any idea ? this howto is really the last howto release ?

[Sebastian Roth]

@Zaqen Will answer your question here in a bit but for now it’s easier for me to just compile this test kernel for you…

[george1421]

@zaqen said in How to made a new kernel:

Why TomEliot don’t make a new kernel to new hardware support ?

To this point, Linux kernel development is an ongoing process every day so the versions of the linux kernels change on a weekly basis. Just watch this page: https://www.kernel.org/ Kernels will go end of life very quickly with no support after they are EOL. So the FOG developers will pick the last long term supported linux kernel for the FOG Project. The linux kernel developers (not related to the FOG Project) will focus on adding new hardware to the very latest linux kernel branch and not backport them to the older kernels. So at some point the very latest hardware may not be supported on the last long term supported kernel, as in your case. The linux kernel developers did not back port that driver into 5.10.x series of kernels. Typically in this case either the FOG Project developers or I will create a “unofficial” one-off kernel for specific FOG admin needs. The problem with releasing a new and untested kernel is that errors may be introduced with new kernels that are unknown at the time so its a balance between officially supporting a well known and proven stable kernel and a bleeding edge kernel that might support the latest hardware. The FOG Project developers need to be focused on what 90% of the FOG admins imaging needs are (a stable and well tested kernel). And then look at the rest of the needs as a one-off (special needs) situation.

[Zaqen]

@george1421

Thank you for your reply.
I know kernel.org well. Could you give me the howto for building a kernel for FOG please?
I try this howto : (https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Building_a_Custom_Kernel)
No success, don’t found .config files

[george1421]

@zaqen The way I build the one off kernels are a bit different than the FOG Devs do it but it works. On your linux distro you need to install the buildessentials package. You can probably google building kernel on your linux distro to get all of the required packages.

Now download the linux kernel from kernel.org to a working directory and extract it. From the git hub site https://github.com/FOGProject/fos/tree/master/configs Download kernelx64.config and save it into your home directory.

Copy kernelx64.config from your home directory and save it as .config in the base directory of the kernel you extracted.

Issue the make config or make nconfig command from a linux command prompt to build and load the kernel config editor. Once the editor load look for any warning messages about legacy/old settings or configs. If the menu loads cleanly then save the settings even if you haven’t changed anything and exit the menu config.

The last bit is to just issue the make command to build bzImage. (the kernel).

[Zaqen]

@sebastian-roth Thanks for your test kernel.
I validate its operation on HP ProDesk 405 G6 Desktop Mini PC.
It works perfectly.
Cheers

[Zaqen]

@george1421 Thank you very much, I will test your method.

[Sebastian Roth]

@Zaqen Find the instructions here: https://docs.fogproject.org/en/latest/reference/compile_fos_kernel.html (I also updated the wiki to point to the new docs)