Cannot compile my kernel due to unpredictible situations:

Hi,
I have downloaded linux kernel 2.4.
In /usr/src, I did untar the file:
gzip -cd linux-2.4.0.tar.gz | tar xvf -
I see several files being copied to several locations (/linux/Documentation,
/linux/arch/..etc..). The problem is that there's no linux 2.4 directory created
under /usr/src or anywhere else on my system! Anyway, there's nothing new
under /usr/src!!!
Linux is not new to me, so I know that this is weird ( I even tried it with "tar -zxvf linux-2.4.0.tar.gz", "gzcat linux-2.4.0.tar.gz | tar xvf - " ..etc). Same result. Anyway, let's say that it doesn't matter whether there's a new kernel 2.4 directory or not..
how can I make sure that I am re-compiling my kernel (currently kernel 2.2.5) with
the right 2.4 kernel?? (Kernel howto talks about going to /usr/src/linux and start compiling..but current /usr/src/linux is a link to my current 2.2.5 kernel !!!)

Current OS: Red Hat Linux 6.0 Kernel 2.2.5

Thanks

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So you have just wrote kernel2.4 OVER your kernel2.2.

Kernel tarballs always untar and give a directory named 'linux'. So suppose you have a setup like:
ls /usr/src:
linux -> linux-2.2.5
linux-2.2.5

If you untar linux-2.4.0.tar.gz in /usr/src, it writes over 'linux' that points to you 2.2.5.
What I usually do is
rm -f linux (is just a link)
gtar zxf linux-2.4.0.tar.gz (gives a new REAL directory named 'linux') mv linux linux-2.4.0
ln -s linux-2.4.0 linux

I don't know why kernels are not tarred as linux-X.X.X, but there will be a reason, I suppose... (that will ease very much everyone's life).

J.A. Magallon                                                      $> cd pub
mailto:[email protected]                                          $> more beer

Linux werewolf 2.4.0-ac5 #1 SMP Wed Jan 10 23:36:11 CET 2001 i686

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I guess it has overwrite the files in /usr/src/linux which is the link to your linux-2.2.5. this is why you did not see any new file/dir created.

but the files in /usr/src/linux has probably being overwritten by files from 2.4.0.

you should always remove the link /usr/src/linux before you untar the kernel under /use/src or untar it in some other directory and rename it and then move it under /usr/src.

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Here are three golden rules of unpacking a kernel tarball:

1. Make sure that you have sufficient free space on the partition before unpacking.

Reason: the kernel source is not small. Currently the 2.4.0 kernel is around 105MB, but once built it will grow to 125MB or more depending on your configuration.

2. Make sure that there isn't a pre-existing file or directory called 'linux'

Reason: unpacking a new kernel tree over an old kernel tree will give unpredicatable results, and may end up with it failing to build, or failing to unpack if 'linux' is a file.

3. Never unpack a kernel tar ball in /usr/src

Reason: some systems still have symlinks from /usr/include/linux into /usr/src/linux/include/linux. The headers in /usr/include/linux are supposed to be the ones that your C library was compiled against, not the current kernel you are running.

Suggestion: create a directory called '/usr/src/v2.4.0' and unpack in there. If you need any extra patches, or other utilities (eg, modutils) you have a convienient place to keep them for later reference.
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