5.6. Creating a Custom Kernel RPM

5.6.1. Creating a Custom Kernel RPM using kernel.org's Source

• On the frontend, check out the Rocks source code. See Read-Only Access to CVS for details.

• Change into the directory:

  # cd rocks/src/roll/kernel/src/kernel.org

• Download the kernel source tarball from kernel.org. For example:

  # wget http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/linux-2.6.17.6.tar.gz

• Create a kernel "config" file and put it in config-<version>

  You can create the config file by using the following procedure

  # tar xzf linux-2.6.17.6.tar.gz # cd linux-2.6.17.6 # make menuconfig

  Configure the kernel anyway you need, and after the configuration is over choose to save the configuration in an alternative location. Enter the name of the file as ../config-2.6.17.6. Finally, exit the configuration and remove the linux-2.6.17.6 directory.

  The <version> number must match the version number of the kernel source. For example, if you downloaded linux-2.6.17.6.tar.gz, the name of the config file must be config-2.6.17.6.

  You'll want to ensure that the following line is in your config-<version> file: CONFIG_DEBUG_KERNEL=n  or  # CONFIG_DEBUG_KERNEL is not set is present in the configuration file. Otherwise, the kernel modules will contain debug info and be quite large.

• Update version.mk.

  The file version.mk has the following contents:

  NAME = kernel RELEASE = 1 VERSION = 2.6.17.6 SMP = 1

  The VERSION value must match that of the linux kernel tarball you downloaded (e.g., 2.6.17.6).

  If you are building a uni-processor kernel, then set the following:

  SMP = 0

  Or, if you are building a multi-processor kernel (i.e., SMP), then set the following:

  SMP = 1

• Build the kernel:

  # make rpm

• Copy the resulting RPMs into the current distribution:

  # cp ../../RPMS/<arch>/kernel*rpm /home/install/contrib/4.2/<arch>/RPMS/

  Where <arch> is i386, x86_64 or ia64.

• Rebuild the distribution:

  # cd /home/install # rocks-dist dist

• Test the new kernel by reinstalling a compute node:

  # shoot-node compute-0-0

• If the kernel works to your satisfaction, reinstall all the compute nodes that you want to run the new kernel.