I just installed Slackware 11 with the 2.6.x SMP kernel. To
be specific, I installed
kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-1.tgz and
kernel-modules-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-1.tgz from
/slackware-current/extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/.

What do I need to compile packages from source (I need to
compile ndiswrapper)? I'm assuming I need the kernel source
and kernel headers.

There is a kernel headers package
kernel-headers-smp-2.6.17.13-i386-1.tgz in
/extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/ but it is for i386 rather than
i686. There is no kernel source package in
/extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/ but there is a package
kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz in
/extra/linux-2.6.17.13.

Which of these packages, if any, are appropriate for
compiling from source in my install? And do I need anything
else?

Robert

On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 18:22:26 -0400, Robert Glueck <rglk@web.de> wrote:

>I just installed Slackware 11 with the 2.6.x SMP kernel. To
>be specific, I installed
>kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-1.tgz and
>kernel-modules-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-1.tgz from
>/slackware-current/extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/.
>
>What do I need to compile packages from source (I need to
>compile ndiswrapper)? I'm assuming I need the kernel source
>and kernel headers.

Don't need the 2.6 headers -- I'd suggest copying the source to
normal user and learn how to do custom kernels 'properly'...

Which is not the slackware method, and not entirely necessary,
remember to append a unique tag to your kernel so you get a
completely parallel custom kernel, and can boot either.

Install slackware's 2.6.17.13 source, then as user:

mkdir kernel; cd kernel; cp -a /usr/src/linux-2.6.17.13 linux-2.6.17.13a

cd linux-2.6.17.13a
make menuconfig

+------------------------------------- General setup -------------------------------------+
¦ Arrow keys navigate the menu. <Enter> selects submenus --->. Highlighted letters are ¦
¦ hotkeys. Pressing <Y> includes, <N> excludes, <M> modularizes features. Press ¦
¦ <Esc><Esc> to exit, <?> for Help, </> for Search. Legend:[*] built-in [ ] excluded ¦
¦ <M> module < > module capable ¦
¦ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ¦
¦ ¦ (a) Local version - append to kernel release ¦ ¦
¦ ¦ [ ] Automatically append version information to the version string ¦ ¦

Add an 'a' (or whatever you fancy) to make your shiny new kernel different.

I suggest you use a custom /root/bin/installkernel script, see:
<http://bugsplatter.mine.nu/bash/kernel/installkernel-latest.gz>

for the one I use, gets called by the kernel build 'make install' step and does
2.4 and 2.6 series kernel installs.

Finally, my style of /etc/lilo.conf:

$ cat /etc/lilo.conf
# /etc/lilo.conf for slackware-11.0 on sempro -- 2006-09-17
#
boot = /dev/hda
root = /dev/hda1
read-only
compact
prompt
timeout = 50

#default = 2.6.17.13a
#default = 2.6.16.29a
#default = 2.4.34-pre2
default = 2.4.33.3a

image = /boot/bzImage-2.6.17.13a
label = 2.6.17.13a
optional

image = /boot/bzImage-2.6.16.29a
label = 2.6.16.29a
optional

image = /boot/bzImage-2.4.34-pre2
label = 2.4.34-pre2
optional

image = /boot/bzImage-2.4.33.3a
label = 2.4.33.3a
optional

image = /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.33.3
label = Slack

Never lose the slackware kernel, marking custom kernels as optional
suits my build system -- I do kernel testing for 2.4 and 2.6 series,
here: <http://bugsplatter.mine.nu/test/>.

Kwan Lowe's Kernel Rebuild Guide:
<http://www.digitalhermit.com/linux/kernel.html>.

Grant.
--
http://bugsplatter.mine.nu/

Thanks for your reply, Grant. I believe you misunderstood
my query: I wasn't asking about how to compile custom
kernels but rather what do I need to have installed on my
system (which runs under the 2.6.x SMP kernel) so as to be
able to compile applications, utilities etc. from source. I
want to make sure that if I need the kernel sources and
headers that they are matched to my kernel.

Robert

On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 20:03:46 -0400, Robert Glueck <rglk@web.de> wrote:

>Thanks for your reply, Grant. I believe you misunderstood
>my query:

Okay, sorry.

>... I
>want to make sure that if I need the kernel sources and
>headers that they are matched to my kernel.

Install 2.6 headers after reading the warning -- I did on one box and
it compile boots 2.4.34-pre3 okay Vmware broke, needs the interface
recompiled, expected )

Prior to this I always used the 2.4 headers -- no problems.

Grant.
--
http://bugsplatter.mine.nu/

Robert Glueck wrote:

> ... I want to make sure that if I need the kernel sources and
> headers that they are matched to my kernel.

(assuming I understand you correctly ...) Install the kernel-headers
package: you need the headers that match those that libc was compiled
with, not the kernel. Any packages (such as third-party device drivers)
that require kernel-specific headers "know" (in my experience) where to
find them.

I hope that helps ...

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sylvain Robitaille syl@alcor.concordia.ca

Systems and Network analyst Concordia University
Instructional & Information Technology Montreal, Quebec, Canada
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert Glueck <rglk@web.de> wrote:
> There is a kernel headers package
> kernel-headers-smp-2.6.17.13-i386-1.tgz in
> /extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/ but it is for i386 rather than
> i686. There is no kernel source package in
> /extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/ but there is a package
> kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz in
> /extra/linux-2.6.17.13.

Neither the headers nor the source are specific to any kernel,
they can be used to create ALL of the kernels.

> Which of these packages, if any, are appropriate for
> compiling from source in my install? And do I need anything
> else?

Normally: just install the kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz
package but use the config from /boot that came WITH your specific
kernel as a starting point if you want your own modifications.
This can be done with:
cp /boot/config /usr/src/linux/.config
(assuming all of the symbolic links have been set, which installpkg
will normally do).
--
************************************************** ******************
** Eef Hartman, Delft University of Technology, dept. EWI/TW **
** e-mail: E.J.M.Hartman@math.tudelft.nl, fax: +31-15-278 7295 **
** snail-mail: P.O. Box 5031, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands **
************************************************** ******************

Eef Hartman wrote:
> Robert Glueck <rglk@web.de> wrote:
>> There is a kernel headers package
>> kernel-headers-smp-2.6.17.13-i386-1.tgz in
>> /extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/ but it is for i386 rather than
>> i686. There is no kernel source package in
>> /extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/ but there is a package
>> kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz in
>> /extra/linux-2.6.17.13.
>
> Neither the headers nor the source are specific to any kernel,
> they can be used to create ALL of the kernels.
>
>> Which of these packages, if any, are appropriate for
>> compiling from source in my install? And do I need anything
>> else?
>
> Normally: just install the kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz
> package but use the config from /boot that came WITH your specific
> kernel as a starting point if you want your own modifications.
> This can be done with:
> cp /boot/config /usr/src/linux/.config
> (assuming all of the symbolic links have been set, which installpkg
> will normally do).

Thanks for your reply, Eef. I'm a little confused: if the
header packages are not specific to any kernel why does
Slackware offer two header packages for the 2.6.17.13
kernel, i.e.

extra/linux-2.6.17.13/kernel-headers-2.6.17.13-i386-1.tgz
extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/kernel-headers-smp-2.6.17.13-i386-1.tgz

In any case, since I'm using a dual core processor, I've
used installpkg to install the following packages, on top of
a fresh install of Slackware 11 with the default sata.i
kernel v.2.4.33.3 from -current as of 9/11/06:

extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-1.tgz
extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/kernel-modules-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-1.tgz
extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/kernel-headers-smp-2.6.17.13-i386-1.tgz

extra/linux-2.6.17.13/kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz

The /usr/src/linux/.config file is headed with "Linux kernel
version: 2.6.17.13" whereas the /boot/config file is headed
with "Linux kernel version: 2.6.17.13-smp", and diff shows
that there are plenty of differences between them. Hence,
I ran # cp /boot/config /usr/src/linux/.config, as you
suggested.

Am I all set now to compile ndiswrapper from source?

Robert

Eef Hartman wrote:

> Normally: just install the kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz
> package but use the config from /boot that came WITH your specific
> kernel as a starting point if you want your own modifications.
> This can be done with:
> cp /boot/config /usr/src/linux/.config
> (assuming all of the symbolic links have been set, which installpkg
> will normally do).

I tried to compile ndiswrapper v.1.23 from source but didn't
succeed in getting a working version.

I got this compile time message; I don't know how critical
this is:
*** WARNING: This kernel seems to use 4K stack size option
(CONFIG_4KSTACKS); many Windows drivers will not work with
this option enabled. Disable CONFIG_4KSTACKS option,
recompile and install kernel.

The user land utility "ndiswrapper" that I compiled
installed my Windows wireless driver fine but running
'modprobe ndiswrapper' to install the ndiswrapper kernel
module gave this error:
FATAL: Error inserting ndiswrapper
(/lib/modules/2.6.17.13-smp/misc/ndiswrapper.ko): Invalid
module format

The ndiswrapper Wiki FAQ says that this message indicates a
kernel module compilation issue. The following conditions
must be fulfilled for a successful compile of the module:

1. The kernel running should have been compiled from the
same sources as ndiswrapper is.
2. The compiler used for compiling the kernel should be the
same as the one used to compile ndiswrapper.
3. If a precompiled kernel is used, one should make sure
that the kernel sources have the exact same kernel
configuration as was used for compiling the kernel.

Re 1: As I said before, I've not been able find the sources
for the kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686 that I'm running.
The closest I was able to get to that was with
extra/linux-2.6.17.13/kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz.
That's what I installed in /usr/src/linux, and presumably
those are the sources that I compiled ndiswrapper with.
Hence there seems to be a mismatch here, but is it critical?

Re 2: That condition presumably is fulfilled (gcc-3.4.6 in
both cases).

Re 3: Well, there was a mismatch between
/usr/src/linux/.config and /boot/config but I overwrote the
former with the latter (cp
/boot/config-generic-smp-2.6.17.13
/lib/modules/2.6.17.13-smp/build/.config). Presumably
/boot/config was used to compile my kernel, and the
identical /usr/src/linux/.config is now in the kernel
sources directory.

Perhaps the biggest clue is what dmesg says:
ndiswrapper: version magic '2.6.17.13 mod_unload 486
gcc-3.4' should be '2.6.17.13-smp SMP mod_unload 686 gcc-3.4'

To recap, the following packages are installed on my system now:

extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-1.tgz
extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/kernel-modules-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-1.tgz
extra/linux-smp-2.6.17.13/kernel-headers-smp-2.6.17.13-i386-1.tgz
extra/linux-2.6.17.13/kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz

Questions: Is the problem that I used
kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz when I should have used
specific kernel sources for
kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686 that unfortunately don't
seem to be available? Or is it just a matter of changing a
few incorrect CONFIG entries in a kernel config file?

Robert

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:38:37 -0400, Robert Glueck <rglk@web.de> wrote:

>1. The kernel running should have been compiled from the
>same sources as ndiswrapper is.

And slackware uses 'vanilla' kernel source from kernel.org.

>2. The compiler used for compiling the kernel should be the
>same as the one used to compile ndiswrapper.

Yep
>3. If a precompiled kernel is used, one should make sure
>that the kernel sources have the exact same kernel
>configuration as was used for compiling the kernel.
>
>Re 1: As I said before, I've not been able find the sources
>for the kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686 that I'm running.

Came with slackware.

>The closest I was able to get to that was with
>extra/linux-2.6.17.13/kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz.

That's right.

> That's what I installed in /usr/src/linux, and presumably
>those are the sources that I compiled ndiswrapper with.
>Hence there seems to be a mismatch here, but is it critical?

No mismatch, you ignore the first error message.

You have some reading to do before you can understand the
answers, sorry I cannot help.

Grant.
--
http://bugsplatter.mine.nu/

Grant wrote:
[snip]
> You have some reading to do before you can understand the
> answers, sorry I cannot help.
>
> Grant.

I readily admit that I don't understand much about the
different kernel versions and how to compile them but can
you give me some help toward solving this by explaining the
dmesg output

ndiswrapper: version magic '2.6.17.13 mod_unload 486
gcc-3.4' should be '2.6.17.13-smp SMP mod_unload 686 gcc-3.4'

Doesn't this indicate a mismatch or misconfiguration
somewhere in my install? How do I correct it?

Robert