[SOLVED] vmlinux

Hi,
I was trying to build a kernel to use in a MIPS board. I downloaded a package from timesys website that came with the toolchain as well as the kernel source. I compiled the kernel using the following commands:

make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- wds3_defconfig

make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- menuconfig

make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- module

make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- INSTALL_MOD_PATH=<path to Root File System> modules_install

make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- vmlinux

wds3_defconfig genrates the default .config for the MIPS board (wds3 is its name).

I loaded the vmlinux onto to the board and ran it(The board came with its own bootloader). I am able to run it without any problems. I dont understand how I am able to do that. My understanding is that vmlinux is just the bare linux kernel wihtout any userland tools. The one I am running even has a busybox on it. Where did all that come from. Does that mean my kernel source directory contains all of these tools also.

Thanks

Originally Posted by qwerty4061 Hi, I was trying to build a kernel to use in a MIPS board. I downloaded a package from timesys website that came with the toolchain as well as the kernel source. I compiled the kernel using the following commands: make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- wds3_defconfig make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- menuconfig make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- module make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- INSTALL_MOD_PATH=<path to Root File System> modules_install make ARCH=mips CROSS_COMPILE=<Path to Compiler Directory>/bin/mipsisa32r2-timesys-linux-uclibc- vmlinux wds3_defconfig genrates the default .config for the MIPS board (wds3 is its name). I loaded the vmlinux onto to the board and ran it(The board came with its own bootloader). I am able to run it without any problems. I dont understand how I am able to do that. My understanding is that vmlinux is just the bare linux kernel wihtout any userland tools. The one I am running even has a busybox on it. Where did all that come from. Does that mean my kernel source directory contains all of these tools also. Thanks

I don't have a MIPS board - but, I have a couple of NAS boxes which (I am guessing) have a similar sort of layout.
There is a NAND flash divided up into multiple chunks (devices). The hardware boot (sometimes it is UBOOT) loads the kernel image from one of these chunks and the filesystem image from another and (optionally) other filesystem images from other chunks. Depends on how it is laid out.
So, for example - with my Seagate NAS - I can leave the original (sort of proprietary) kernel untouched and flash a different filesystem image into it and ... hey presto! - I am running with my filesystem populated with the binaries I want - but, running the kernel that was originally supplied in the NAND.
I think what you are experiencing is the same sort of thing - only reversed.... You put in a new kernel - but, you didn't put in a new filesystem image - so... you got the one that was there before.

Maybe I am wrong. But, I think that's how it works.
Dave

Turns out I was completely wrong. The wds3_defconfig makes the kernel point to a cpio which contains all the required binaries and is always kept in the RAM through initramfs.