the sily bash question & kernels

[tar ciryatan]

Hi, I'm installing a new kernel....and well, being a newbie to linux..when its time to bash my kernel directory to install the new kernel (2.4.2), I dont know how to bash it, so I can run make config....can anybody tell me how to bash?
...sorry if this angers anyone, I've only used linux for 2 days

[7]

:D

I think you want to use the command line. Thats the thing where you type in commands instead of clicking. The thing that interprates your words for actions is called bash.

Post back if your unsure.

[tar ciryatan]

how do you use the command line? sorry about that, but I'm extremely new to linux, and know very little about doing things in it

[7]

No worrys. We were all new once.

Click on the equivilent of the "start" button and look for a program called either

Xterm
Konsole / Console
Eterm

along those lines. Something with the word 'term' in it. That will bring up a window with the CLI (command line interface) in it.

Post back if you have any more trouble.

[bdg1983]

Probably best to exist out of X first. CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE should do it or exit from KDE/Gnome or whatever and if using xdm etc., select restart in console mode.

Or from your GUI, try CTRL-ALT-F1 or F2-F6 to get to a console. CTRL-ALT-F7 or F8 to get back to X.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[tar ciryatan]

thanks for that tip, but I when I try and do the following, after cding to /usr/src/linux

and then trying to run make config, make menuconfig or anything like that, it get a message saying that basically bash doesnt know how to do a make command...
what I'm asking, is how do I get bash to allow me to run the make config command?

[7]

You will need to be more specific. What did you type? A,

make menuconfig

will bring up the kernel config menu. Is that what you typed?

[bdg1983]

Do you have the 'make' package installed?

[tar ciryatan]

I dont think so. can someone explain to me how to set up startx or the ncures-dev and tk4-dev libraries? it seems I also need one of thsoe in order to get menuconfig or xconfig

how can I find those things, and also, as the one poster pointed out, tell if I have the make command installed?

[7]

Right.

I rekon you've got make installed because its askin you for the ncurses libraries sources.

Go to www.rpmfind.net (http://www.rpmfind.net) and search for those things its asking for. Download them then do a

rpm -Uvh <thing you downloaded>

(someone check that I dont use RedHat)

for each of the things it wants. Then try the

make menuconfig

command again.

[7]

The command

find / -name make

Will tell you if you have make installed (which I think you do). If you do, it will print out the location of the file, it will look like /usr/bin/make, or /bin/make or something.

[tar ciryatan]

actually it gave me error messages locating it in my cd roms, and then an access denied message when for a location called /proc/5/fd

the question is...do I have the command make? I think not...and that means, where do I get it?

[jwilson]

type "make --version" and it should give you a version number or:

make --help and if you see the options you've got it, otherwise you'll see command not found ot something.

My guess is that you're cd-ing to /usr/src/linux and trying to make something that isn't there. Make sure you have some files in that directory, such as a "Makefile"

You have to install the kernel source to perform a kernel config.

[tar ciryatan]

thanks for that, it should help a lot. I untarred the kernel into /usr/src/linux

does that mean the kernel source is installed, or did I miss a step here?

(the read me says to compile the kernel right after untarring it, basically)

[MBMarduk]

Hi there,

Yes, you've just untarred the kernel sources in /usr/src/linux.
I'd like to type here all you need to do, but that's not necessary, 'cuz you can read everything here (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/compiling/index.html).

Good Luck
-Mike

[tar ciryatan]

Still no luck, even with that.

I try and do #make config, # make menuconfig, # make xconfig and it does NOTHING on every terminal! What's the problem now?

[MBMarduk]

NOTHING???
like after you press ENTERit immediately gives you the prompt again on the next line?

Doesn't bash atleast tell you "blahblah: command not found."?????

[tar ciryatan]

yes, it does the blahblah command not found, or it just sits there, and doesnt load up the config.

[MBMarduk]

The file /usr/src/linux-x.x.xx/Documentation/Changes has a list of utils you need to compile.

Type (in that directory) "less Changes" and around 13% of the file you see an elaborate list AND the commands you need to find out _EASILY_ if you have whats needed.

Hope this helps.
-Mike

[tar ciryatan]

Besides the fact that that directory isnt there, I've noticed one problem, which may be the entire problem altogether

--the make command will not work at all, and this means its most likely not installed--

so where do I find and download something so I can use make?

[7]

It is really really unusual not to have make installed. What version of RedHat are you using?

The site www.rpmfind.net (http://www.rpmfind.net) will help you find the rpm for make.

[7]

If you just un-tarred the kernel source, it will default to unpacking into <current directory>/linux.

[MBMarduk]

I KNEW IT!
DUDE, to save yourself from more trouble: get this over with.

Once untarred into "/usr/src/linux" RENAME IT (like the NHF says, Red Hat especially likes that!) like this: "mv /usr/src/linux /usr/src/linux-2.4.2" and THEN SYMLINK IT like this: "ln -s /usr/src/linux-2.4.2 /usr/src/linux"

I once forgot to rename the directory and ended up dumping 2.2.18 ALL OVER 2.2.16...it was a FSCKING MESS! Why? Because "tar xvfz linux-2.4.2.tar.gz" just dumps everything in "./linux", and if something else's in there it's gonna get battered.

Anyways, whenever I posted "/usr/src/linux-x.x.xx" I meant YOUR (unlinked) "/usr/src/linux".

Phewww.. :rolleyes:

[MBMarduk]

BTW, I realised that I still don't know what DISTRO you're running...so which is it?

[tar ciryatan]

Mandrake 7.2