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KERNEL

Compiling a kernel has the advantage to make it as minimal and featureful as you want, you can test kernel patches and tweaks and optimize your system.

  • You need the kernel source, build tools, the kernel configuration file (optional), and root or sudo privileges for the final stages of the process.
  • Back up all of your files.
  • Have a distro in a Live CD or USB at hand just in case.

TOC

  1. PREPARATIONS (OPTIONAL)
  2. GETTING THE KERNEL SOURCE
    2.1. OPTIONAL: Symlink
    2.2. DOWNLOAD THE KERNEL SOURCE
  3. GENERATING A CONFIGURATION FILE
  4. CHANGING THE CONFIGURATION (OPTIONAL)
  5. COMPILATION
    5.1. OPTION A: One command
    5.2. OPTION B: One by one
    5.3. BUILD MODULES
  6. INITRD
  7. MODULES
    7.1. COMPILE A SINGLE MODULE
    7.2. DKMS
  8. KERNEL PATCH
    8.1. PRELIMINARY STEPS
    8.2. OPTION 1: Git
    8.3. OPTION 2: Patch command
    8.4. OPTION 3: Patch with zcat
  9. DRIVERS

PREPARATIONS (OPTIONAL)

In this optional step you can take note what kernel modules are appropriate to turn on only the options you want and have a trimmed down kernel.

  • To see which version the new kernel source is.
    head /usr/src/linux/Makefile
  • To see which version the kernel you are currently using is.
    uname -r
  • Short list of your hardware.
    lspci
  • List your hardware with kernel modules used for each.
    lspci -k
  • List only kernel modules currenly loaded.
    lsmod
  • Long list of your hardware with all details.
    lspci -v
  • See information on your CPU.
    cat /proc/cpuinfo
  • See information on your memory (not really necessary).
    cat /proc/meminfo

GETTING THE KERNEL SOURCE

OPTIONAL: Symlink

Is standard to download Linux sources under /usr/src/, then link the downloaded kernel tree to /usr/src/linux-<VERSION_NUMBER> and work there, but is not a requirement.

  • Change to /usr/src/.
    cd /usr/src/
  • Symlink.
    ln -s linux-<VERSION_NUMBER> linux

DOWNLOAD THE KERNEL SOURCE

Get latest kernel from kernel.org

  • Get tarball.
    wget https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable-rc.git/snapshot/linux-stable-rc-<VERSION>.tar.gz

  • Uncompress.
    tar -xvzf linux-<VERSION_NUMBER>.tar.xz

  • Enter directory.
    cd linux-<VERSION_NUMBER>/

  • Clean the directory (wont touch the config file just remove all compiled files from the kernel tree).
    make clean

  • Remove compiled files from the kernel tree AND the configuration file if there are any (backup your configuration file before this if you have one in the current directory).
    make mrproper

GENERATING A CONFIGURATION FILE

This process makes a ".config" file in the kernel source directory, this file determine which drivers are built and other support. There are three options here, you can turn on only the minimal set of options you need.

  • OPTION 1: Use the config file of another kernel or the current system.
    cp -v /boot/config-$(uname -r) .config

  • Or in some distros you can take it from the running kernel.
    zcat /proc/config.gz > .config

  • OPTION 2: Make a default config file (may or may not have the options you are currently using).
    make defconfig

  • OPTION 3: Generate a config file disabling all options not loaded by the currently running kernel and will make questions on what kernel options to support when it finds new kernel options. Could have problems with peripherals not in use at that time unless you plug all devices like USBs. Attach devices you use or insert modules manually with the insmod command before using this option. Available from kernel version 2.6.32 and up.
    make localmodconfig

  • OPTION 4: Create a minimal kernel config file which necessarily needs to manually enable options afterwards to have a working system. Available from kernel version 3.17-rc1 and up.
    make tinyconfig

CHANGING THE CONFIGURATION (OPTIONAL)

  • Depending on your tastes this part can take minutes, hours, or days to enable proper options.
  • The Y (or "*" in menuconfig) flag in kernel configuration compiles options to be integrated into the kernel.
  • The M flag in kernel configuration compiles options as separate modules.
  • The N (or a blank space in menuconfig) flag in kernel configuration will not build selected option.

OPTION 1: Start a menu and browse options. Requires curses library but likely is already on your computer. Press "H" or "?" to see help. You can use the space bar to cycle between the available choices or press the appropriate key mentioned above. Pressing "/" to search for keywords.
make menuconfig
NOTE: Remember to save the configuration if you are using menuconfig to generate the ".config" file.

OPTION 2: Will make questions on what kernel options to support when it finds new kernel options not marked on an existing config file (takes time and and if you are using a striped down config file it requires you knowledge).
make oldconfig

OPTION 3: Will fill questions with default answers on what kernel options to support beyond your provided config file.
make olddefconfig

COMPILATION

Can take minutes to hours. Have a cup of tea or coffee while you wait to compile.
NOTE: The -j<X> flag, where <X> is the number of cores, IS OPTIONAL and only goes if you have a processor with multiple cores. A trick to get the cores automatically is by including $(nproc) instead of the number. If you install ccache (THIS IS OPTIONAL) you can speed up subsequent compilations by including CC="ccache gcc" after the -j<X> flag.
make -j<X> <OTHER_FLAGS>
With ccache.
make -j<X> CC="ccache gcc" <OTHER_FLAGS>
With ccache and nproc.
make -j $(nproc) CC="ccache gcc" <OTHER_FLAGS>

For compilation you have two options, OPTION A is the easiest and is a single command. OPTION B is here for didactic purposes.

OPTION A: One command

Compile and move everything to its place. The "all" flag makes modules AND the bzImage at the same time (replaces "bzImage" and "modules" flags).
make -j $(nproc) all modules_install install

OPTION B: One by one

  • If your configuration does not contain answers for all of the options, especially if they are new and not currently included in your running kernel, you will need to answer the prompts for these options.
    make -j $(nproc) bzImage

  • OPTION B1: Copy the new kernel to /boot.
    cp arch/<YOUR_ARCHITECTURE>/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz

  • Not required for booting but some processes need it.
    cp System.map /boot

  • OPTION B2: Automatically move kernel to /boot (and in certain distros, symlink the new kernel to /boot/vmlinuz and update the bootloader configuration).
    make install

NOTE: The vmlinuz can be any name but that exact name has to be added to the configuration file of your bootloader of choice. Usually a version number is appended to the new kernel image. This has the advantage to avoid replacing a current kernel and having a fallback as backup to boot. You can set to boot from any image in the bootloader once you configure them in the bootloader.

BUILD MODULES

Module files end with the .ko file extension. They are individual files for each question you answered M during kernel configuration. The object code is linked against your freshly built kernel as separate modules. Questions answered Y were integrated into the kernel (vmlinuz), and for questions answered N they were skipped (not compiled).

  • To compile modules.
    make -j $(nproc) modules
  • Copy generated kernel modules to /lib/modules/<KERNEL_VERSION>/.
    make modules_install

INITRD

The initrd is used only while booting, unless you compile the kernel with the filesystem it resides on (initfs). There are three options.

  • OPTION 1: Compile the kernel with support for the filesystem used in the /boot partition (initfs).
  • OPTION 2: Use mkinitrd.
    mkinitrd -o /boot/initrd.img
  • OPTION 3: Use initramfs.
    update-initramfs -u

After this you'll only need to reboot to test your new kernel.

MODULES

This section is optional. It shows how to get individual modules and what you can do with them, how to install new modules, update them and automate the process.

COMPILE A SINGLE MODULE

  • Only compile a module.
    cd linux-<VERSION_NUMBER>/
  • Create files required for compiling external modules.
    make modules_prepare
  • Compile modules.
    make M=<DIRECTORY_WHERE_MODULE_IS_LOCATED>
  • Move module to <VERSION_NUMBER>.
    cp <DIRECTORY_WHERE_MODULE_IS_LOCATED>/<NAME_OF_MODULE>.ko /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/
  • Or
    cp <DIRECTORY_WHERE_MODULE_IS_LOCATED>/<NAME_OF_MODULE>.ko /lib/modules/
  • Update the modules.
    depmod -a

DKMS

To update modules automatically when changing a kernel use DKMS. Requires the dkms package and the proper module source code.

  • Create a directory.
    mkdir /usr/src/<MODULE>-<MODULE_VERSION>/
  • Copy the source code of the module.
    cp -a * <DIRECTORY_WHERE_MODULE_IS_LOCATED>
  • Create a dkms.conf file in the directory.
    vi /usr/src/<MODULE>-<MODULE_VERSION>/dkms.conf
  • Edit dkms.conf.
PACKAGE_NAME="<MODULE>"
PACKAGE_VERSION="<MODULE_VERSION>"
BUILT_MODULE_NAME[0]="<MODULE>"
DEST_MODULE_LOCATION[0]="/kernel/<SECTION>/<MODULE>/"
AUTOINSTALL="yes"
  • Add and <MODULE_VERSION> to DKMS.
    dkms add -m <MODULE> -v <MODULE_VERSION>
  • Compile the module with DKMS.
    dkms build -m <MODULE> -v <MODULE_VERSION>
  • Install the module with DKMS.
    dkms install -m <MODULE> -v <MODULE_VERSION>

KERNEL PATCH

This section is also optional. There are cool patches for the kernel out there and here you'll find how to install them. You can find patch files on the Linux Kernel Mailing List. More patches are provided in other places.
Some available patches are:

  • Kernel_gcc_patch, enable gcc optimizations for additional CPUs.
  • UKSM, RAM memory de-duplication reducing memory footprint, but opens side-channel attacks and is recommended to be used on systems disconnected from the network.
  • Linux-rt, maximum latency and responsiveness, users claim avoids any hiccups and stalls.
  • Liquorix, kernel for desktop, multimedia, and gaming workloads.
  • linux-tiny, reduce the memory and disk footprint (only for 2.6 and down, not updated).
  • Linux-libre, remove non-free, obfuscated or obscured software included without source code.
  • pf-kernel, patch set improving interactiveness and performance, includes Kernel_gcc_patch, BFQ and others.

PRELIMINARY STEPS

  • Go to kernel source tree.
    cd /usr/src/linux-<VERSION_NUMBER>
  • Download the patch file there.
  • Following instructions assume is gzipped.

You have three options to patch the kernel.

OPTION 1: Git

Git can be used to fallback from the patch and revert to the upatched source.

  • Uncompress patch file.
    gunzip <PATCH_FILE>.gz
  • Apply patch.
    git am <PATCH_FILE>
  • To revert a single patch.
    git apply -R <PATCH_FILE>
  • To revert several patches first see the git log.
    git log --pretty=oneline --abbrev-commit
  • Select the proper number from the first column.
    git reset --hard <FIRST_COLUMN_NUMBER>

OPTION 2: Patch command

  • Uncompress patch file.
    gunzip <PATCH_FILE>.gz
  • The -p flag specifies a number of leading directories to remove, location is at the top of the patch file filename and is relative to the current directory.
    patch -p1 < <PATCH_FILE>

OPTION 3: Patch with zcat

  • To use the uncrompressed file directly.
    zcat <PATCH_FILE>.gz | patch -p1

Compile the kernel with the patch now included.

DRIVERS

The drivers have different names depending on your device (like "iwlwifi" and its "ucode" for WiFi). In part they can be installed from a package usually named "linux-firmware", but they may not be complete (this provides "ucode" but not "iwlwifi").