From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jul 17 01:01:58 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 43B3A16A4CE for ; Sat, 17 Jul 2004 01:01:58 +0000 (GMT) Received: from web53303.mail.yahoo.com (web53303.mail.yahoo.com [206.190.39.232]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id CF60B43D31 for ; Sat, 17 Jul 2004 01:01:57 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from jiafu_he@yahoo.com) Message-ID: <20040717010157.43695.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [151.196.241.32] by web53303.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Fri, 16 Jul 2004 18:01:57 PDT Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 18:01:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Jiafu He To: bsd hack , freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <20040716161408.37479.qmail@web21523.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: Re: FreeBSD Custom Kernel X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 01:01:58 -0000 bsd hack wrote: Hi All, I have a few basic questions regarding building a custom Kernel: (1) Once I configure, make and make install the custom kernel... it will get written to /boot/kernel. Now I have already made a backup of the working kernel. what I need to know is when I get the boot loader menu(when it counts from 1 to 10) is there any way in which I can Include another option for my Custom Kernel. I want the default to remain as the working kernel... and I want an option for my Custom kernel in the menu... (2) Secondly I dont understand the boot prompt and the loader prompt completely. at the boot prompt I guess I can specify the kernel I want to load. So lets say I have my custom kernel in the directory /boot/mydir/custom-kernel. so how do I specify at the boot prompt or the loader prompt to load the custom kernel (3) And finally I had downloaded the source code of freeBSD and I configured, did a make and a make install without making any changes ...(Just to get it started!) ... when I rebooted the system it failed to recognize the disk and so I reinstalled FreeBSD again...( hadnt enabled any debug options so could not recover any information!!)... Is there anything that "HAS" to be done before installing the new kernel? I'm working on FreeBSD 5.2... any help will be appreciated. I recommend you check out the FreeBSD handbook, developer's handbook and/or architecture handbook or even read the comments in src/Makefile. The answers are all in there. I guess the version you installed must be R5.1/R4.10 or even earlier versions. R5.2 and later versions have serious problems recognizing hardwares. It turnes on many new features (ACPI, SMP etc.) in the kernel configuration by default. However, the new code doesn't work for certain motherboards and chipsets, at least for now. In one case that I know is that the APIC and IOAPIC interrupt controllers can not be correctly initialized, which fails the device auto configuration process or causing other serious problems after the system is up (like interrupt missing). If your hardware doesn't work for the 5.2, stick to R5.1 or 4.10 would be a better idea. Hope it helps. JF --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone.