Moving from 2.4 to 2.6 guide

mile_slo · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:47 pm Post subject:

Anybody knows, when mppe patch will be ready for 2.6 kernels?

Narada · Guru Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 300 Location: London, UK

Narada · Guru Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 300 Location: London, UK

FINITE · Guru Joined: 10 May 2002 Posts: 449

Ok, I want to get in on the 2.6 kernel goodness. Have a few questions before I start the process. If I go into make menuconfig with the 2.4 series kernel and save the config to 'an alternate location' will I be able to load that config when I go to compile the 2.6 kernel? Call me lazy but I don't want to have to go though and hand select all of my options. If there is no choice then so be it. Then there is the question about making the symlink, I didn't need to do this with the 2.4 series kernel, why would I need to with the 2.6 series? Which one should I go with, the mm sources or the standard 2.6? Thats about it, sure I can figure out any problems that pop up along the way if any. Thanks.

Narada · Guru Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 300 Location: London, UK

FINITE: Kernel options: I would strongly recommend against migrating 2.4 kernel config to a 2.6 kernel. Generally, the rule is migrate config between the same numerical branch but not across different branches. The old options have been radically changed and there are a whole multitude of new options. Even if you do copy old config over and do 'make oldconfig' you will be asked many questions on the command line about option choices. Start fresh with configuration options and do 'make mrproper' before you begin. Symlinks: Symlinks are necessary for both 2.4 and 2.6 kernels. Create two symlinks for the 2.6 kernel that you will use: (1) /usr/src/linux and (2) /usr/src/linux-beta. These symlinks are sometimes depended upon by certain packages/ebuilds to determine which kernel to compile against such as nvidia-kernel/glx. The symlinks are basically used as a systemwide indication of which kernel sources are currently in use so are recommended. Which 2.6 kernel: Initially, I would say try the vanilla (plain) 2.6 kernel, get it working and fine tune configuration options and boot parameters if necessary. Once you have a robust .config file you can migrate it to any other variant of the 2.6 kernel including mm. The latest version as of now of vanilla dev sources is 2.6.0-test4-bk6. My decision has been to install my kernel myself rather than getting it from portage as that allows much greater freedom and also prevents kernels being outdated when portage bumps take time. HTH.
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FINITE · Guru Joined: 10 May 2002 Posts: 449

Thanks for the info Narada. I was going to do everything from work but I forgot to reconfigure my firewall to allow ssh. This really sucks, wanted to get everything running before I got home.

icecube · n00b Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 34

I have been at this for two days trying to get 2.6.0-test5 set up correctly. I see a lot of people having some similar problems. I got a wild hair and wondered if my TX2 bios was up to date. Well I went to http://www.promise.com/support/download/download2_eng.asp?productId=87&category=bios&os=0 and downloaded and updated my bios to 2.20.0.15. Don't forget to back up the old one. Well before I updated the bios, the 3 partitions that I had on my Maxtor drive could not be mounted during boot, no matter what I did or how I compiled the kernel (as I said I've been trying for 2 days - got a day off for the hurricane). After I updated the bios, the partitions were recognized and even better yet in the 2.4.22 kernel I get "PDC20269: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later" on boot even after the new bios was installed. With the 2.6.0-test5 kernel I get "PDC20269: 100% native mode on irq 23" even before the bois was installed. Native has to be better than not 100% native. Lesson - when having problems, check bios updates. Hope this helps someone else since it took me so long to figure it out.
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icecube · n00b Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 34

I also found that in order for terminals to work, you do need "Unix98 PTY Support" under "Character devices" and "/dev/pts file system for Unix98 PTYs" under "File systems -> Pseudo filesystems". Hope this helps someone else too. The last thing I have to do is get Intel e100 driver to work. Guess I will emerge the driver instead of using the one in the kernel. If anyone has any info on this, please share. Also if anyone has any trick on vmware running on 2.6, this is the last thing I need before a full switch. Thanks.
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icecube · n00b Joined: 30 Oct 2002 Posts: 34

Solved my own problem with e100 module. When module-init-tools is installed it changes the way modules are autoloaded. Instead of having a /etc/modules.autoload file there is the /etc/modules.autoload.d directory (which by the way was present before 2.6) which contains kernel-2.x files that hold the modules to autoload for the particular kernel that is loaded. I also found a link to fix VMware (http://thomer.com/linux/migrate-to-2.6.html), but I haven't tried it yet. Will check the Gentoo forums to and post if it works.

Once you get to understand this kernal and how it works, it rocks. Compiling is a breeze. Can't wait for stable.
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m00re · n00b Joined: 17 Jun 2002 Posts: 65 Location: Germany

is there a solution on how to get lm-sensors working width a 2.6.0 kernel? i cannot compile either 2.7.0 nor 2.8.0 of lm-sensors... and when i try to fetch the stats of my sensors (i still have got a compiled version of 2.7.0 on my system) by running "sensors", i get an error about not being able to read from the /proc/busses/i2c (which doesn't exist). there's also missing the module i2c-proc (which exists in 2.4.x), and i dont find it in the config for kernel-2.6.0.

and in addition to that, i dont get a working terminal in X (starting from fluxbox menu), but i am sure to have everything enabled for it. my kernel config can be read at http://www.m00re.de/kernel.config

greets, Jens

ps: the vmware fix is working.
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Koala Kid · Guru Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 382

hmmmmm.....

KiTaSuMbA · Guru Joined: 28 Jun 2002 Posts: 430 Location: Naples Italy

They are removed...
ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86" will solve this as it gets the .15-pre1 package still there.
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KiTaSuMbA · Guru Joined: 28 Jun 2002 Posts: 430 Location: Naples Italy

abombss · n00b Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Posts: 12 Location: Chicago, IL

Well, it has been quite some time since I compiled a kernel. I got fed up with my ati 8500 sucking so bad in 2.4 that I opted to spend time and learn solaris on a sparc. Anyway, yesterday I decided to reinstall Gentoo on x86.

Warning: Long story and rambling ahead!

I was very impressed with livecd, smp, and framebuffer support. Kudos to Gentoo, the best distro, and now with cool eye candy!! Needless to say I bootstraped from stage 1 and was on my way in no time. When it came time for the kernel I elected for gentoo 2.4.2 sources, previously I ran 2.4.0 vanilla. I was excited for the updated radeonfb patch!

When I booted I was amazed that the radeon framebuffer worked, I was in 1024x768@85 and I saw penguin!! Then things started locking up. Of course I had no boot disk, just livecd so I rebuilt a new kernel. I did this again and again and again and again and again (see a pattern). I could not figure why I was randomly locking up, I tried several configs, even bare minimal non smp configs.

Needless to say I was...

Anyway I spotted this thread and thought I should take a stab at the mm3-test5 sources. I just finished the install and I feel...

Everything is detected and seems to be working... Haven't messed with X yet :roll:

But, now my radeonfb doesn't seem to be working. Anyone else have this problem. Linux detects and loads the radeonfb fine, but it doesn't switch modes, I am stuck at 640x480. Any thoughts on modedb or fb.modes??

Bottom line... after 15 minutes of 2.6 I am in love... I might follow-up in a couple hours after I build X and Gnome and get pissed about my ati all in wonder being everything but wonderful, but hey this still beats microsuck!

Seriously, anyone have experience with running framebuffers other than vesa?

--abombss

jaska · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 3:47 pm Post subject:

Sorry to ask but, which ebuild of the 2.6 kernel should I go for? mm-sources or development-sources? Planning to test out 2.6 this weekend.

Koala Kid · Guru Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 382

Koala Kid · Guru Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 382

well.... new day - new troubles.

the new kernel seems to be working but X doesn't start

Master_Of_Disaster · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 12:06 pm Post subject:

Has someone managed to get lm_sensors and lirc to run with 2.6? (I use 2.6.0-test5-mm4) Apparently (damn I'm really impressed) everything else seems to work...
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monicajae · Guru Joined: 03 Sep 2003 Posts: 363 Location: Dorset, VT

2.6.0-test5-bk8

here's my experience: and a question...why is it that when i ran a 2.4.22 kernel on a slackware 9.1 distribution alsa worked perfectly? when i upgraded to the 2.6.test5 kern and enabled alsa as mod's it didn't, but then i hardcoded it in the kernel and voila, sound!

then comes gentoo...2.4.22-pre2 emerge alsa no sound ... upgrade to 2.6.test5 no sound ?? what is the difference? it's still the same soundcard. the same drivers...same alsa? so, what's the problem? i want sound, dammit, and when i listen to live streaming music, via OSS, after about five minutes, it freezes, and you know what? the gentoo developers can't even help me, telling me, this isn't a gentoo bug. Fcuk yeah it is!! i, like some other people, want to take advantage of the digital qualities and strengths that alsa offers. so, what can i do? can someone tell me? do i just go back to Slackware? do i tell pat volkerding he rocks?
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RedDawn · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2003 10:49 am Post subject: Wholy Crap!!

WOW this is cool i started using Gentoo like 1 mounth ago using Kernel 2.4.20 now im using Kernel 2.6.0TEST6 and i LOVE IT!!!!! WOW.... is so fast!! my first compoile went with no prob all i had to do is emerge the Nvidia-Kernel, Nvidia-GLX drivers and i was set!!! NO PROBLEMS AT ALL!!!

except on little one!! when i exit x the computer just stops responding it wont give me any terminals and i do the 3keys of death nutting happens... it just stays there!!

can someone help me all i have is VESA compiled into the kernel...etc!

kakakoka · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 10:27 pm Post subject:

Baer · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:38 am Post subject:

Hi,

found this lil' text, covering most of my questions.

Regs
Baer
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