Re: Installing a new Linux build on a Debian distro

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:39:04 -0600
Owen Heisler <owenh000@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Sat, 2007.11.10 18:49, Celejar wrote:
On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 20:50:42 -0600, Owen wrote:
start with /boot/config-2.6.18-4-486 as your config. Be sure to
include the initrd option when compiling the kernel with
make-kpkg.

I'm curious; why do you recommend initrd? I built plenty of kernels
using kernel-package without initrd without a problem; I only began
to use initrd when I began to use s2disk, which encourages it.

When I first started compiling kernels, I built one using the Debian
config as a starting point, compiled, rebooted, and got a kernel
panic. This was because some modules were required to load the root
fs. Using an initrd fixed that. Also, (I think) uswsusp _requires_

Kernel support for the root fs must obviously be available, but IIUC, it
can generally be included in the kernel. Of course, it then can't be
built as a module - I hit this when I tried building my ATA HDD support
as a module without an initrd ...

an initrd. At least, one system I set up recently wouldn't resume
after an s2disk without an initrd. (If there is some way to resume
without using an initrd say please.)

From the uswsusp HOWTO.gz:

(c) The kernel should be configured with CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD=y,
which will allow you to run the resume binary out of an
iniramfs/initrd image. [It is possible to use the suspend tools
without any initramfs/initrd images, but it's dangerous and will not
be documented here.]

I have never tried this.

So I suggest using an initrd for anyone who isn't sure that they don't
need one. Once they figure out how to configure the kernel, then
they can drop the initrd if they so choose.

Thanks,
Celejar
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