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README

This script automates the whole process of fetching, patching, configuring, building and installing the kernel and also updates the bootloader.

This script for people who often install the latest kernel and get a little bit bored by the standard routine. It is not suitable for newbies. You need to have a working setup and kernel-configfile and some skill like being able to read a script and apply patches.

Usage

Quite simple: Just run the script.

You can use ./install_latest_kernel -h to see the commandlineoptions.

The script make .cookie-blah files during the execution and if stops somewhere you will resume after the last finished task. You may have to remove those cookie-files sometimes.

If there is an extra patch from the mailing-lists for last minute fixes like this one:

http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=103044541414638&w=2

you can save the message in raw and remove the text and name the patch ``patch-2.4.X-preY-acZ-extra'' and it will be applied as well.

FAQ

Q: wouldn't it be a good idea to remove the initrd files in /boot?

1. initrd is usefull for distrokernels since they have to modulerize.

   For personal kernels I really recommend you to compile all modules into the kernel, especially the ones you need at boottime. After which you don't need no initrd anymore.

   If your /sbin/installkernel creates an initrd I would like to suggest to use the installkernel-script provided with install_latest_kernel.

   Besides it's rather hard to predict how disto /sbin/installkernel scripts name the initrd.

NOTE

This script does not take the promotion of prepatches into account; so 2.4.20 will be built when 2.4.20-rc4 is already installed, which actually is exactly the same kernel. Look at it from the bright side: at least you have the latest kernel tarball ;-)

Feedback

If you find bugs please read this:

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html

And only then send me a report. :)

Please don't send any feature request, I have got enough good ideas of my own. Patches and/or bugfixes are welcome though.

I have tested this script a lot, but I am sure there are situations that I haven't found yet and that possibly do not work like they should. I am also quite convinced that this script could behave more elegantly in some places. So I am really interested in good reports.

Thanks

Much thanks to Wilmer van der Gaast for alpha testing my script and not killing me after a bug removed all his kernels.