On Slackware 8.1 there is both /usr/src/linux/ and /usr/src/linux-2.4.18/

Which of these two is the one to edit? Both directories contents look the same to me [New to linux]


All I want to do is add NTSF Read/Write to my kernel, leaving all else as is. Just adding support for NTSF is all I want to do. Thanks

/usr/src/linux is a symbolic link to /usr/src/linux-2.x.xx
You don't need to recompile in slackware if you want ntfs read-only support, and writing to ntfs is likely to corrupt your data. Do "modprobe ntfs" to load the read-only module, edit /etc/rc.d/rc.modules to load it at boot. If you need to transfer data between linux and windows on ntfs then the best option is to create a small fat32 partition.

I need NTSF Write, I need to access(R/W) the same files in both Windows and Linux, however the files are fixed in C:/Documents and Settings/ and there is no options to change where I can put these files. And I don't want to have to copy the files to a different partition everytime I just want to boot into Linux. And then back again once I boot into windows again.

The files are only ASCII files, less than 50kb each too. I'm not writing large binary files. Just simple plain text ASCII files readable by Vi etc...


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If there was a way to do a "Symbolic Link" in windows then that would make things incredibly easier. I'd simply create a small FAT32 partition somewhere with sym links from both O/S's to it.

What the files are is besides the point, you can enable ntfs write support in linux but, and it's a _big_ but, it's buggy and can trash your data.
Even the kernel config has a warning about enabling ntfs write support.

Ok, thanks for the advice. I think I'll just enable ntsf-read then and find a way to move files within windows upon shutdown.

Hopefully ntsf-write might be better in the future eh.

Could someone explain to a newbie who has never compiled a kernel, what is this all about? The talk of compiling with individual settings, etc. has me confused. I run Mandrake 9, had a go at Red Hat 8, but for some reason it will not install, but MD 9 will. ANyway, I also had the enormously fun time of gettting the NVIDIA drivers installed. I found on another forum step by step for newbies and when I did that, wow, the NVIDIA splash screen appeared, I screamed and whooped, sending my wife into orbit next to me.
Thank you to all who take the time to help out here. I am so much happier with Linux, just still a little behind on the learning curve, such as still having problems trying to install programs that need dependencies, then those need dependencies, etc. But when it works, what joy!!

When you compile a custom kernel you can build it with support for the hardware it runs on and leave out anything that you don't need, this gives you a small kernel, and a small kernel is a fast kernel.

Word, this is a pretty sweet forum from what I've read so far, everyone's nice as hell...

I'm having problems with the boot kernels on the Slackware 9 CD. No matter which one I choose I get a problem immediately before I'm allowed to type 'root' (I can't because the error disable all my usb connections)

Is there a way to compile a custom kernel to boot the install from?

Slackware 8.1 had a kernel with usb mouse and keyboard support called usb.i, but this is in the 9.0 release notes,
So try doing "bare.i nousb" at the kernel prompt.

If I do that, then what would I choose when it asks me what kernel to install?

And how would I then go about enabling usb once I've installed? Would it just be a simple rc.modules edit or would I need to recompile the kernel in some fashion? Or does passing nousb to the kernel not disable the usb stuff but puts it as modules instead. So that they can be loaded with rc.modules?

Thanks

bare.i

Hotplug is doing a sterling job with my pci and usb devices, there is a comment about it in the release notes as well, PV calls it "a major, major step forward", I was surprised when I saw the emu10k1 module load during my post install boot.

I don't know, give it a try and tell us what happens..and error messages are always welcome :-)

Ok, I have a fresh install of slackware 9. What arch is this kernel compiled for??

Do modules slow your kernel down?? When i was using slack 8.1 i just ran a 'make menuconfig' with the stock 2.4.18 kernel, changed the arch, closed out, then ran a 'make oldconfig' , said No to everything and compiled the 2.4.20 kernel.

Now would just changing the arch on the stock 9 kernel show any improvement?? Most of the stuff on here is really compiled into modules anyway.....I just want to get this thing optimzed as quick as it could go. so....

Is it better to have it built in or built as a module?? (like say ppp, sound, i2c, lm_sensors, etc)

Does building modules for stuff you don't have slow it down?? Looking at config for the stock kernel there are ALOT of modules i can scrap out.

Those are the only two questions I have along with the current arch settings. If more performance can be squeezed would be great.

thanks

There are a lot of drivers marked as 'M' in make menuconfig.... and just wondering... if in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules NOTHING has been uncommented at all. Then is it safe to get rid of all the drivers that ARE being built as modules?

I have a question. How a kernel knows what module to load if it is not built into the kernel.
Will it have an entry in it,
saying this feature(say ntfs support) is selected as a module and needs to be loaded.
Will building unnecessary modules increases the size of the kernel.
(Suppose USB, I dont have any USB devices presently, But my configuration includes module support for USB)