Building a New Kernel and Modules

The following notes apply to release 7.2. Be sure you use tool chain 3.3.2 or later. The 3.2 tool chain has a bug that prevents the video drivers to compile.

Building the Source Tree

• Get the kernel sources from:
  ftp://ftp.arm.linux.org.uk/pub/linux/linux-2.4/linux-2.4.19.tar.gz
   
• Get the patch from:
  ftp://ftp.arm.linux.org.uk/pub/linux/arm/kernel/v2.4/patch-2.4.19-rmk7.gz
   
• Get the patch from:
  ftp://ftp.arm.linux.org.uk/pub/linux/arm/people/nico/diff-2.4.19-rmk7-pxa2.gz
   
• Extract the kernel sources using the command:
  tar zxvf linux-2.4.19.tar.gz
   
• Extract the patch-2.4.19-rmk2.gz using the command:
  gunzip patch-2.4.19-rmk7.gz
   
• Change into Linux directory (the directory created when you untarred the kernel) and apply the patch using:
  patch –p1 < ../patch-2.4.19-rmk7
   
• Extract and apply the patch diff-2.4.19-rmk7-pxa2.gz using the same steps as above.
   
• Apply the Stargate patch using:
  patch –p1 < ../patch-linux-2.4.19-rmk7-pxa2-star(x)
  
  This patch is found in the release src directory. (x) indicates version number. The patch file name may vary based on the preferences of its creator.

• Copy pwcx-2.4.20.o.bin to drivers/usb.
  
  The algorithms for uncompressing images from a Philips (pwc) webcam are proprietary. As a result, the uncompression module is delivered as a binary. Patches do not work with binaries. Thus, this extra step.
   

Compiling the Kernel - (Release 7.3 and above)

From the base of the Linux source tree do the following. The build procedure has been changed as a result of  placing the kernel in a more comprehensive build environment.

make

The following are also appropriate commands.

• make clean
   
• make menuconfig

However, do NOT do a make mrproper.

Compiling the Kernel - Depreciated (Release 7.2 and lower)

From the base of the Linux source tree do the following:

• make clean
   
• make mrproper
   
• make stargate_config
   
• make oldconfig
   
• make menuconfig
  This is optional and you only need it if you want to change defaults for compilation.
   
• make dep
   
• make zImage
  This will create the zImage file in:
     arch/arm/boot
   
• make modules
   
• make modules_install
  This collects all the modules in:
     /lib/modules/2.4.19-rmk7-pxa2
  Make will complain that they are not compatible with your desktop. That's ok because they for ARM. Just copy them from there to their corresponding locations on the Stargate.

Debugging Kernel Panics

What they need to do is run the output of the crash dump through "ksymoops" -- without that it's pretty much meaningless.