CSCI 331 Homework 4

Reading and accounts

Start by reading the UNCA Computer Science Linux Playpen web page to see how you connect to the "playpen". Each student in the class has been given an account on one playpen computer as shown below:

Your password is the letters "CSci" (that's two big and two little) followed by the last four digits of your UNCA student ID.

The assignment

The assignment is to compile, but not install, a Linux kernel in your home directory on your "playpen" computer. You can do this assignment with fellow students, but every one must have the compiled kernel in his or her directory.

I'm going to tell you what to type to complete this assignment.

First, copy the kernel source to your home directory by typing the following command:
  tar xfz /csci331/linux-2.6.14.tar.gz
This should create a rather large directory called linux-2.6.14 within your home directory.

Second, connect to your linux-2.6.14 and edit the file called Makefile. You only need to change the fourth line, the one that defines EXTRAVERSION. Replace the YOURNAMEHERE with your last name.

The third step may not be needed, but I'm being careful. Type the following command to "configure" the kernel.
  make oldconfig
You'll get a great deal of output which will list all the modules that will be included in your kernel. Your kernel source directory already contains a .compile generated by your instructor. This is a rather minimal configuration file with includes relatively few modules. There's not much harm in including more modules than you need, but that would increase the kernel compliation time.

Finally, compile the kernel with the command:
  make
This will take several minutes. Expect to many warnings.

How do you know if it worked?

If the make completes with many error messages, then it probably worked.