Rebuilding the Linux kernel is very interesting and sometime often scares off newbies. But there is nothing difficult in this, and compiling the Linux kernel is no more complicated than compiling any other source code. You may need to rebuild the kernel when you need to add some functions not included in the current kernel, or, on the contrary, you want to disable some of them. Or you simple want to migrate to the new kernel version. The main steps to select new kernel configuration, build the kernel and install it are presented below.
All further actions we will perform in Centos Linux. As example Centos6 virtual machine is used.
1. Check the current release of kernel:
# uname -r 2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64 |
2. Let us go to https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/ and download higher version of kernel:
# curl -O https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/linux-3.18.5.tar.xz % Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed 100 77.2M 100 77.2M 0 0 2723k 0 0:00:29 0:00:29 –:–:– 2420k |
3. Extract kernel 3.18.5 source into /usr/src/kernels directory:
# tar -Jxvf linux-3.18.5.tar.xz -C /usr/src/kernels/ |
4. Create symbolic link to new kernel source directory, switch to this directory and check its content:
# ln -s /usr/src/kernels/linux-3.18.5/ /usr/src/kernels/linux # cd /usr/src/kernels/linux # ls arch Documentation init lib README sound block drivers ipc MAINTAINERS REPORTING-BUGS tools COPYING firmware Kbuild Makefile samples usr CREDITS fs Kconfig mm scripts virt crypto include kernel net security |
5. Check if we have all necessary development tools and install them:
# yum grouplist “Development Tools” Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, refresh-packagekit, security Setting up Group Process Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile * base: centos.mirror.rafal.ca * extras: centos.mirror.rafal.ca * updates: centos.mirror.rafal.ca Installed Groups: Development tools Done |
It is possible to check all group components and install only missing ones
# yum groupinfo “Development Tools” |
but checking is time consuming process so install all “Development Tools”:
# sudo yum groupinstall “Development Tools” |
6. Now everything is ready for compilation, but before verify
/usr/src/kernel/linux directory which contains Makefile. This file does all compiling jobs. Also the file has a lot of targets (options), use “make help” command to check all of them:
# make help Cleaning targets: clean – Remove most generated files but keep the config and enough build support to build external modules mrproper – Remove all generated files + config + various backup files distclean – mrproper + remove editor backup and patch files Configuration targets: Other generic targets: For exaplme: “make modules” is used to build all loadable modules |
7. Compiling version 3 kernel
Start with cleaning just in case however it is not necessary, because no previous compilation was executed before.
Now start “# make menuconfig” config command to select what part of the kernel must be compiled.
After selecting compilation option the menuconfig editor saves them in hidden .config file.
After choosing configuration start compiling using “# make bzImage” target:
The compiling process may take 20 minutes or so.
Now we need to compile modules “# make modules”:
It takes some time and when it will be complited check content of /usr/src/kernels/ directory.
Currently it contains sources of old and new kernels:
# ls -l /usr/src/kernels/ total 8 drwxr-xr-x. 22 root root 4096 Apr 12 2017 2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64 drwxrwxr-x. 23 root root 4096 Jan 29 2015 linux-3.18.5 |
8. The next step is “make modules_install” which really copy files into appropriate directories structure:
9. It runs install.sh scrip creating System.map, coping accross the system map file, updating /etc/grub.conf file, creating initialization RAM disk and so on:
Installing of 6 modules failed, 2 of them related to NAT (we are using Bridge Adapter), others have different purpose for example soundcore module.
Every module error must be investigated separately and it is not a goal of this topic. Let check result of kernel compilation.
10. Verifying.
Open /etc/grub.conf file, we can see stanza pointing to new kernel:
This kernel is not a default one, to assign it to default we need to change default to 0:
The boot directory content shows the presence of new kernel file names, which have suffix 3.18.5:
# ls /boot config-2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64 System.map efi System.map-2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64 grub System.map-3.18.5 initramfs-2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64.img initramfs-3.18.5.img vmlinuz initrd-2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64kdump.img vmlinuz-2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64 lost+found vmlinuz-3.18.5 symvers-2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64.gz |
Now reboot the device and check default kernel version:
# uname -r 3.18.5 |