Pappy's preconfigs!

Nicias · Guru Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 446

Wahoo! Thanks for doing this pappy!

pappy_mcfae · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2016 9:00 pm Post subject:

You're most welcome. It feels good to know that an idea I had is actually something that has gone literally around the world, and remains a desired thing. That is amazing. The preconfigured Linux kernel has officially outlasted the pet rock.

Cheers,
Pappy
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pappy_mcfae · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 8:40 am Post subject:

I must say, I love the new paradigm for preconfigs. Do a bit of setup; post the results. Sooooo much better than the old way.

While my internet setup means the source takes a while to get here, the preconfigs can be whipped out in no time.

32 bit
64 bit

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Pappy
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krinn · Watchman Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 7470

pappy_mcfae · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 8:43 pm Post subject:

For now, things are working as I'd hoped with the minimized paradigm. It took very little time to set up and upload the config files. This is how I should have dealt with things so long ago. Live and learn.

I have been in contact with Daniel on several occasions. He has things going on with Funtoo, and when they're done, then we are going to discuss the resurrection of kernel seeds as a real thing. I am working on the first draft of an updated site with the historical pages, as well as new. He has no issue with me continuing as long as I do honor my word and put up and maintain something on Funtoo.org's site. That is the current plan.

Due to numerous circumstances, cash flow being chief among them, my internet access is limited to what comes in through my phone's cell data. That means I get about three to five days a month of decent data rate, and the rest of the time, I am slower than if I were using a 56k modem. There is no way I could host my own site, even though my old web server is still up and running. As soon as I can get a real connection, not only will I be able to finish watching Breaking Bad on Netflix, I'll set up a satellite server. That time is in the future.

For now, it just feels good to be back to doing this. Even with the minimalism, I still feel honored that people care about my little idea. That's pretty good for a self-taught amateur, if I do say so myself!

Cheers,
Pappy
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NeddySeagoon · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:02 pm Post subject:

pappy_mcfae,

Nobody ever asked me to take down my kernel-seeds.org mirror so its still there just as you left it.
Its moved hosts and is now on a KVM on my server. Your login is still there. ssh is no longer on port 22, that goes to the bare metal host.

If you want to get back in, PM or email me and I'll tell you the ssh port.
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pappy_mcfae · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:16 am Post subject:

Asking mirror ops to take it down probably slipped my mind. I just figured me taking down the main site would prompt all others to follow suit. In a way, I'm glad it stayed up. I'm not sure how it will all turn out, or Daniel's policy on mirrors. Another bridge to cross.

There is another mirror still up besides yours. Kind of a good thing when I had to get "donations" in late summer.

I am not sure how my incredibly slow internet would deal with ssh. I'm not even sure when everything is supposed to happen. So for now, I guess just leave it as is until I move ahead a bit.

Cheers,
Pappy.

PS thanks for all the help in making the first iteration of my idea a success. I very much appreciate you and your actions on my behalf.
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Tony0945 · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:44 pm Post subject:

I've been following and this morning got an e-mail that there was a new post. I clicked the link and got a notice that the topic doesm't exist.

Wassup?

khayyam · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 4:48 pm Post subject:

pappy_mcfae · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 9:00 am Post subject:

I'm only a day late with this. Apologies.

32-bit

64-bit

As always, enjoy!

Cheers,
Pappy
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blinker · n00b Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 13

Thanks,

Your PreConfigs are very useful

pappy_mcfae · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:31 am Post subject:

You are most welcome.

I, too must offer thanks, my most heartfelt thanks, to all those who kept the idea alive. You know who you are. I can now say I actually had an idea that was a hit in its own little way. Not a lot of folks get to make such claims. Bonus!

While I am here...

>>>NEWS FLASH<<<

I just sent a draft of a page I've been working on to Daniel Robbins, along with a couple graphics. The new home of the official Pappy Kernel Seeds page is soon to become a reality at Funtoo.

I am super-duper geeked!

Cheers,
Pappy
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Astronome · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 02 Jan 2016 Posts: 148

This is pretty neat. Are there any more specific preconfigs? For instance, it would be immensely helpful to me to have a preconfig for the AMD Athlon 64 x2 family of processors, perhaps with ATI Radeon specific settings preselected.

khayyam · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 5:39 pm Post subject:

pappy_mcfae · Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:18 am Post subject:

This is very true. A seed is a group of necessary settings to which you add your system's hardware and file system requirements. Without proper setup by the user, the seed willl not produce a bootable kernel.

The idea came to me when I first started reading about and compiling kernels. At that time, many settings in the kernel were switched on, whether or not they were needed. Others were turned off, yet vital to getting things going. I created a .config file that was much more sane, with less unneeded cruft.

The response actually blew my mind, but I guess a good idea is a good idea.

Cheers,
Pappy
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Clad in Sky · l33t Joined: 04 May 2007 Posts: 887 Location: Germany

"Good idea" doesn't even begin to describe it.
A bit late, but also from me my sincere thanks, pappy. It's been a while since I used any of the seeds or whatever you call them now, but I keep referring to them in order to get my own kernels up and running.
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pappy_mcfae · Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 7:44 am Post subject:

Still waiting on word from DR about when my new site will be up. No rush, as long as I can still get the seeds out via pastebin.

As ideas go, the kernel seed is definitely one of my best. Should I say it's the only one that has stuck around and been popular to any degree. I am happy for that. I'd be ecstatic if it netted decent financial gains, but life is like that when you do open source software.

My apologies on being a bit late with the new .configs. I had a few other things weighing on my mind, and they took precedence for a bit. Fortunately, the streamlined nature of the new setup means things go a lot more smoothly, if not a bit more slowly.

Here are the new files:

32-bit
64-bit

As always, enjoy!

Cheers,
Pappy
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pappy_mcfae · Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:02 am Post subject:

My apologies for the delay. I had some things in real life that took precedence. Still no word on the new site. New preconfigs, though. I have some of those!

32-bit
64-bit

As always, enjoy!

Cheers,
Pappy
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audiodef · Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 10:41 pm Post subject:

So glad that PKS is back.

Curious - would a seed make any difference when using genkernel?
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pappy_mcfae · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:22 am Post subject:

Yes. You have to set the genkernel option switches such that the seed .config doesn't get overwritten by genkernel using its all-modules default .config. I have only used genkernel once or twice to get a feel for it. It works, but so does using the standard kernel compilation tools.

To me, genkernel shines best when it comes to the need for an intrd / initramfs for a RAID, or that finicky driver that will only work properly when booted with an intrd / initramfs. It goes through all the gymnastics, so you don't have to. If I were running a system with such requirements, I would use genkernel. It saves a buttload of time that you can use to figure which switch(es) to use to make it do its thing. And yes, even when setting up an intrd / initramfs, you can still use a custom .config, as long as the intrd / initramfs option is turned on.

I recommend setting your .config up outside genkernel, and only using genkernel once you have the it set properly. Considering how it could add to boot-time headaches, I don't recommend an intrd / initramfs unless you absolutely need it, and most people don't.

I had a really old server that had a SCSI interface with a driver that required an intrd / initramfs. I could only get Debian to run on it to any decent degree. Nothing else booted properly, and at the time, I hadn't run across Gentoo yet. X was painfully slow, so it ran headless as a file server.

Cheers,
Pappy
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pste · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 103

Pappy, first another greeting and applause for your efforts and for continuing/resuming the seeds! Thank you!

Then I'd like to add that one thing I considered immensely valuable with the old website was the very informative description pages you wrote, with explanations of why the seeds where configured as they were. I realize that this is/was an educational ambition and burden you perhaps don't want to undertake [again], but often when there are new settings added to or changes made in the configuration structures of the kernel I tend to think back to the times when I always went to PKS to get enlighted. The descriptions were always delightfully short and concise, explaining just enough...

Is there any chance, for example if the Funtoo collaboration gets going for real (or has it started already, if so, where?), that some kind of motivations for seed settings (and explanations of implications) will "be made accessible"? I mean, you must certainly have some kind of idea of why you choose certain settings in your seeds, and working with these issues on a regular basis ought to give you a good overall knowledge of the inner workings of this mysterious beast that we regularly refer to as the linux kernel :wink:

. It would certainly be an admirable gift to many of us less knowledgeable kernel tinkering enthusiasts if you were able to share some of your insights...

Just my two cents...

/pste

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 3:13 pm Post subject:

pste,

There is still a live mirror of kernel-seeds.
Its just as Pappy left it.
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pste · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 103

pappy_mcfae · Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:35 am Post subject:

Daniel hasn't gotten back to me about a new page iteration. I don't want to push, because I'm betting he has a few more irons in the fire than mine. I am sure he'll get around to me in time.

In the meantime, I am glad there remains a mirror to the old site still up and running. It helps new people to get the idea of what is involved in making their Linux boxes run, and how to work with kernel configuration overall. The thought that this idea is making people more aware of their computer's guts is still the biggest reward.

Thanks, NeddySeagoon, for keeping the site up and running. You rock!

Cheers.
Pappy
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NeddySeagoon · Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 8:10 am Post subject:

pappy_mcfae,

There is another kernel seeds mirror too.
I only found out about it a few days ago from a forum post.
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Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.