How to properly compile a kernel?

[Josef Wolf]

First, I want to thank to everyone who answered.  In this mail, I
consolidate responses to multiple mails.

On Thu, Jan 17, 2008 at 07:06:29PM +0100, Wolf Canis wrote:
> thomas fisher wrote:
>> On Thursday 17 January 2008 07:04:33 Oliver Grawert wrote:
>>> On Do, 2008-01-17 at 14:26 +0100, Wolf Canis wrote:
>>>> Oliver Grawert wrote:
>>>>> On Mo, 2008-01-14 at 18:18 +0100, Josef Wolf wrote:
>>>>>> I am trying to compile the kernel on my Gutsy box by myself.

Oliver Grawert wrote:
>>>>> did you have a look at the documentation from the kernel team
>>>>> how to do it with an ubuntu kernel ?
>>>>> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Kernel/Compile

Yes.  But it took me almost two weeks of trial+error by 24x7 compiling.
I was about to give up as I wrote my original mail.  Finally, I've
found that the "apt-get source" method produces something that looks
like it might be what I'm trying to build (compile just finished, at
least the version number looks reasonable, I have not tried to install
them yet):

    linux-headers-2.6.22-14-386_2.6.22-14.47_i386.deb
    linux-headers-2.6.22-14-generic_2.6.22-14.47_i386.deb
    linux-image-2.6.22-14-386_2.6.22-14.47_i386.deb
    linux-image-2.6.22-14-generic_2.6.22-14.47_i386.deb
    linux-image-debug-2.6.22-14-386_2.6.22-14.47_i386.deb
    linux-image-debug-2.6.22-14-generic_2.6.22-14.47_i386.deb

Wolf Canis wrote:
>>>> And there other sites too, but non of these are really working,
>>>> because Cononical don't want that.

I bet this is not by intent.  IANAL, but I guess it could be a GPL
violation if it would be by intent.

Oliver Gravert wrote:
>>> what makes you think that ? the linux-source package contains the
>>> complete kernel source. did you talk to the kernel team about it or
>>> filed bugs for the doc-team if you think the documentation is worng ?

I can't speak for Wolf Canis, but I always try to make sure that it is
not my fault before I go to file a bug.

>>> if there is the need to build your own stuff (i couldnt imagine why
>>> there would be one to build the kernel itself though, since 99% of the
>>> stuff you might need is modular and there are way better ways to get
>>> working modules than to compile the linux package) you are surely able
>>> to do it ...

For me, the reason is to activate low-latency-desktop.  This is needed
to get a smooth video playback with vdr-sxfe.  You just can't change
scheduler strategy by only compiling additional modules.

But before I go modifying anything, I want to make sure I can reproduce
a known stable state (the original ubuntu kernel in this case).

Wolf Canis wrote:
> You have to know the complete Ubuntu kernel build system and a lot
> space left on your hard disk. Only to build one custom kernel.

I am not exactly sure about that.  The files I mentioned on the top of
this mail were produced by

   apt-get source linux-source-2.6.22
   cd linux-source-2.6.22-2.6.22
   AUTOBUILD=1 fakeroot debian/rules binary-debs

Looks pretty easy once you figured out the correct commands.