Using kernel from fedora on mandriva

hq4ever · 12-19-2005, 07:52 AM

Hi,

We have a scsi controller that is supported on red-hat / fedora kernel's only. But the demand is to run mandriva on the machine (HP XW 9300 Workstation).

So...
I was wondering if it's possible to compile a fedora kernel (maybe even a monolithic one) and boot the mandrake environment (urpmi and co.) using that kernel.

Is it possible ? And if so then any tips to the subject ?

Thank you very much,
Maxim.

Keywords : kernel distribution different other hybrid mandrake mandriva fedora

--
Cheers,
Maxim Vexler (hq4ever).

Do u GNU ?

GrueMaster · 12-19-2005, 11:43 AM

Since they are both rpm based, you should be able to install the kernel rpm just fine. There may be some dependancy issues, but for the most part, they can be ignored, as long as the mandriva default kernel is close to the same core revision (i.e. 2.6.x). udev settings will probably be non-functional.

Is the driver shipped only with the Redhat Kernel? Or is there a way to rebuild the driver? It would be far easier to just recompile the driver under mandrake if possible. May not get the "support" from the vender, but then most venders don't support Linux much anyways. What driver is it?

reddazz · 12-19-2005, 11:55 AM

It will install, but remember that the Mandriva and Fedora kernels are heavily patched for their distros needs, so the Fedora kernel you install may not work right. Why not just recompile the Mandriva kernel and add support for your hardware if this is an option.

hq4ever · 12-19-2005, 02:58 PM

Thank you for helping

I did tried to recompile the kernel with the driver as a loadable module, but as it seem I don't have enough experience with the linux kernel patching & recompilation process.

I even posted to our local LUG group http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux...n.israel/24330 but oddly (and not typicaly to linux-il) haven't received not a single replay.

Any help with this would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,
Maxim.

hq4ever · 12-20-2005, 11:37 AM

Anyone ?

Sorry for the pumping the post, it's just that the issue is rather important (at least to me).

Thank you.

GrueMaster · 12-20-2005, 12:05 PM

Ok, here's what you can do (I just tested this on my Mandriva system, and it built correctly). Install as root the source rpm file with "rpm -i srpms-1/mptlinux-3.02.52-1.src.rpm" (part of the zip package in your LUG post). This will install the source and rpm build files in /usr/src/RPM. Change directories to /usr/src/RPM. Edit SPECS/mptlinux.spec, change the line beginning with Copyright: to License: (the Copyright: tag is no longer supported by RPM). rebuild with "rpmbuild -ba SPECS/mptlinux.spec". It should build an RPM file for your currently running architecture. The new rpm will have the drivers ready to be installed with rpm -i (or rpm -Uvh). This is as far as I got, as I don't have the hardware to test further. Let me know if this works for you.

hq4ever · 12-20-2005, 02:39 PM

This helps.

I have followed your suggestions,

But now when I try to rpm -i the RPM file I get

Code:

[snip]
Saving initrd-2.6.12-12mdk.img in /boot directory.
No module 1 found for kernel 2.6.12-12mdk, aborting.
post Install Done.

What does that mean ?

GrueMaster · 12-20-2005, 02:54 PM

Do you have both 2.6.12-12mdk and 2.6.12-12mdksmp kernels? It's possible that it is only building for the currently running kernel and not for both kernels that are installed. When I built it, it only built the smp kernel drivers. If this is the case, then you'd have to reboot to the UP kernel, and rebuild for it (if you want support for it as well).

I just installed the up kernel and rebuilt the driver rpm. It appears that it only builds for the kernel currently running. I'd have to reboot to do a final test on the UP kernel.

hq4ever · 12-20-2005, 03:14 PM

I'm building it on a test i586 machine, because the target machine is at a remote site that I currently can't ssh to.

On my test machine I have on 2.6.12-12mdk installed (and if you need a laugh it's a P-III 550 mhz) but it still fails.

Sad but true

Thanks for trying to help me, I appreciate it.

GrueMaster · 12-20-2005, 04:39 PM

From what I can tell so far, it appears to be a bug either in the rpm spec file, or the make file for the drivers. I have both kernels installed currently, and if I take the "make" lines out of the script, the script cycles through both kernels ok.

I have to go to an appointment, but I'll try to work on this more either tonight or tomorrow morning. Thought I'd let you know where things stood.

In the mean time, what command line are you typing to rebuild the rpm files?

GrueMaster · 12-21-2005, 02:29 AM

Interesting, what insomnia will do for a guy. I have your solution.

There are 4 lines in the SPEC file that need to be commented for the build to make all the required modules:
# build section ########
Line 32 (if [ -f /lib/modules/${kernel}/.....) Add # to the beginning of this line to comment it out.
Line 34 (fi ) Add # to comment it out.

# install section #####
Lines 42 & 57 are identical to lines 32 & 34. They also need to be commented out. Save the SPEC file, then run "rpmbuild -ba SPECS/mptlinux.spec" to rebuild the rpm package. It will now have modules for UP & SMP kernels.

And since I have 2 Pentium Pro systems with 64M memory as test systems, I'm not laughing.