> -----Original Message-----
> From: plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> [mailto:plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us]On Behalf Of Craig
> White
> Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 7:51 PM
> To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> Subject: RE: X Window Server Crashes Bad
>
--------
This was bothering me all day...and I wanted to get back to this to clarify
(even though Michael has gotten his Nvidia GEForce to work).

The original discussion was about ways to build a boot source and recover
from crashes without going thru the painful process of reinstalling. I added
the lines for copying the config file to /usr/src/linux-2.4/.config to give
it a jump off point for make config/menuconfig/xconfig. I also added comment
about adding source to the tree for adding modules to the kernel and of
course, the make config/menuconfig/xconfig line.

This is for compiling a new kernel on RedHat Linux 7.1 though others will
undoubtedly be similar.

cd /usr/src/linux-2.4  #this will work regardless of whether you
                       #have installed kernel 2.4.3-12 update or
                       #are still with 2.4.2-2 orig distr.
make mrproper          #cleans house
cp ./configs/config.file .config
                       #missing step - substitute desired
                       #config file from /configs folder - will be the
                       #base of configuration
                       #i.e. cp ./configs/kernel-2.4.3-i386-config .config

# add any source to the tree that you want to compile in at this point

make menuconfig        #or in X you can make xconfig or if you are tough
enough
                       #simple make config for top to bottom instead of
menu-driven
                       #kernel building
make dep
make clean
emacs Makefile         #or vim or pico or ???
                       #edit the line that reads
                       #EXTRAVERSION  = -2 or = -12
                       #whatever you put in here will differentiate
                       #your compile from earlier compiles & modules
make bzImage           #take a few minutes
make modules
make modules-install
make install           #should create vmlinuz & System map files in /root
                       #unless you change the target directory in Makefile
#optional...
make bzlilo            #instead of make install but that will dump them in
                       #/boot and run lilo so if you can confidently
                       #walk this aisle - go for it.

using the mv (or cp command - move them to /boot and name them accordingly
i.e. vmlinuz-test)

check the /boot directory and edit & run /etc/lilo.conf as necessary

This process should leave the working boot & modules unharmed - and in fact,
unless you change the 'default' by editing lilo.conf, will remain the
working boot setup so you can experiment to your heart's content and reboot
like a monster. or in David's colorful phraseology, wet lather rinse repeat.
i.e. - if you copy the resulting vmlinuz & System.map files to boot again
and again without rebuilding. The problem is that the files in /etc/X11 are
gonna remain.