Building a custom Redhat kernel

[David Bandel]

On 12/11/05, Net Llama! <netllama at linux-sxs.org> wrote:
> On 12/11/2005 11:13 AM, Collins Richey wrote:
> > On 12/11/05, David Bandel <david.bandel at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Folks,
> >>
> >> OK, I'm frustrated.
> >>
> >> I need to build a custom RH kernel (actually it's a Whitebox Linux 3.0
> >> distro).  Client insists on using this distro, but needs virtual
> >> servers (hence a patch).
> >>
> >> Problem:
> >> Original kernel is 2.6.9-smp-EL.  Patch only supports 2.6.12.4.
> >> Building 2.6.12.4 w/ or w/o patch results in kernel panic (I've tried
> >> initrd and compiling in required modules with the same results).
> >>
> >> Problem is use of GRUB (no LILO! not even as an option), and
> >> /etc/fstab and GRUB use of root=LABEL=/ nonsense.  I can't see how the
> >> system knows /dev/sda3 == /.
> >>
> >
> > 1. The problem is not grub vs. lio, but disk labels. Just use 'tune2fs
> > -L xxxxxxx to set the disk label for each partition to the names in
> > the /etc/fstab lines. For example, on our systems at work 'tune2fs -L
> > /boot  /dev/sda1', 'tune2fs -L /  /dev/sda1', etc.
>
> But that should already be the case if all is well with the default
> shipping kernel.

The shipping kernel boots.  My kernel, either initrd or with
everything compiled in and no initrd kernel panics telling me it can't
find LABEL=/, please provide a correct root= boot parameter.

>
> >
> > 2. Is your system actual scsi or SATA based? We discovered when
> > generating a custom kernel at work, that it does not work to build in
> > the SATA modules. We had to generate these as modules and then
> > 'mkinitrd ,<ick-a-name-for-the-output> <kernelname>.
>
> That's not universally true.  I've successfully booted 2.6.x kernels to
> SATA drives without an initrd.  Also, the kernel build process should
> create the initrd as part of 'make all'.

Interesting.  I just create my own initrd with mkinitrd same as I've
done for years (when I create an initrd, which is rare).

No, initrd is mounting and rotating out fine, it just doesn't like the
root=LABEL=/ and can't find the root partition (ext3 on sda3).  The
kernel has ext3 compiled in, and the LSI megaraid w/ mm and mbox.  It
sees sda and the sda1-4 partitions (according to the kernel messages)
it just can't seem to figure out the root=LABEL=/ line as it did with
2.6.9.

Anyway, client wants 3 virtual servers (development, testing,
production) so I've solved my problem.  He'll get the 3 virtuals w/
Whitebox, but on a Debian kernel.  That at least works.

Thanx all,

David A. Bandel
--
Focus on the dream, not the competition.
            - Nemesis Air Racing Team motto