Kernel Configuration Question

[Collins Richey]

On 12/22/06, Net Llama! <netllama at linux-sxs.org> wrote:

>
> I have no idea what Collins is talking about.  I've built many kernels

I would love to be wrong. Please elaborate.

The project I just completed required a virgin kernel (2.6.18.2), not
one built by RedHat. The basis for the system was an RHEL4.3 minimal
install with most services stripped out. The kernel had minimal
services as well - ide, sata (specifically sata_promise to support the
sata card chosen for the project), networking, 2 specific NIC cards,
no USB, no printing, no cdrom. Every time I tried to boot the kernel
without an initrd, it would fail unable to open a console.

The system is used as an appliance to perform certain types of factory
maintenance on sata drives extracted from DishNetwork settop boxes.
The only user is setup to use rbash with the only permitted commands
being the maintenance utility program and halt with powerdown. The NIC
module is loaded to capture the mac address for security purposes, but
no actual network is attached.

The factory users love the system, and I created a maintenance system
for the hardware engineers to use to create a new factory harddrive
when the utility or its security parameters change so that I don't
have to be involved in producing new versions.

-- 
Collins Richey
     If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries
     of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.