dsl with kernel headers and development libraries
Forum: DSL Ideas and Suggestions
Topic: dsl with kernel headers and development libraries
started by: kingduct
Posted by kingduct on Dec. 20 2006,00:19
Hey,I understand that a huge motive of DSL is to be below 50mb. However, I want to use it for an old laptop, and just am not able to get all the kernel-headers, etc necesary in order to compile a driver that I need (and that works fine under linux if you have that other stuff). So, I'd like a version I could download and install with the exact same applications and configuration as DSL currently has, but with those extra things that are often necessary to get it to work on the computers it is often used on (old laptops).
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Dec. 20 2006,02:13
You can remaster, or use .unc's, or use a debian-style hd-install, or try to run everything on some partition by setting the PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH.The easiest is probably to use .unc's.
Posted by Nym1 on Dec. 20 2006,02:54
Hello,If you are using DSL 3.0 or higher, try to compile your driver after loading the following extensions:
gnu-utils.unc:
< http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub....nc.info >
gcc1-with-libs.unc: < http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub....nc.info >
gcc-2.95.unc:
< http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub....nc.info >
and, perhaps, kernelsource.dsl:
< http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub....sl.info >
Good luck.
Posted by Juanito on Dec. 20 2006,04:42
Or, you could boot from the Knoppix 3.4 CD, compile the driver & save it to USB stick or similar - the driver will work as-is in DSL.If you are lucky, the driver might already be on the Knoppix CD
Posted by kingduct on Jan. 09 2007,20:05
Well, those options are all there...and I've tried the hd installation and the header files and whatnot, but really it starts to be pretty complex because I can only connect to the internet with the modem and I want my wireless card (which has a native linux driver) to work.I guess I could request the inclusion of the adm8211 driver (only older versions support kernel 2.4), but I may be the only person who wants it...that's why I suggestion a version with all necessary additives to enable module compilation, since many people probably have a variety of hardware they'd like to try to get to work. The computer doesn't have enough memory for ndiswrapper.
As it is, getting the kernel source from an old version of knoppix isn't really a serious approach I don't think -- even if it works. A download with all of the kernels and headers from the DSL mirrors might be good. I used the headers dsl package, but it didn't seem to work right for me.
In the meantime, this might all be moot, except that the USB on my old old acer travelmate doesn't seem to work either. Using another distro makes everything work (usb, adm8211 pcmcia card, etc), but it really isn't as elegant a solution as Damn Small.
Well, keep up the good work. If somebody compiles the 8211 card driver or makes a mydsl or whatever, I'd be mighty pleased...in the meantime I will chug away on elive with icewm.
Posted by mikshaw on Jan. 10 2007,03:55
Why not download all of the required extensions with whatever system you typically use with your wireless network and then burn them to a CD?
Posted by anam on Jan. 10 2007,13:50
| Quote (kingduct @ Jan. 09 2007,20:05) |
| As it is, getting the kernel source from an old version of knoppix isn't really a serious approach I don't think -- even if it works. A download with all of the kernels and headers from the DSL mirrors might be good. I used the headers dsl package, but it didn't seem to work right for me. |
I think you may have misunderstood the suggestion here.
Download knoppix 3.4 from the web (its not a difficult find) and compile the driver in the knoppix environment (which is complete enough to do this) once the drivers are built (.o files) copy them on to your usb stick or other DSL accessible media. Boot DSL & sudo insmod them straight in.
If you are used to making software then its an incredibly trivial procedure
I'm now keeping a knoppix 3.4 iso around for any drivers I happen to want
(the spca5xx driver took a bit more work as the actual driver code needed some tweaking, however if you driver is OK for the 2.4.26 kernel no problem)
Posted by kingduct on Jan. 14 2007,15:13
Oh, that makes a lot more sense! I will give it a try...yeah, if the compile works that would be a lot easier.
Posted by kingduct on Jan. 18 2007,17:38
got it to work...using knoppix. Now, I will search the boards to figure out how to autoload the driver upon boot (I am using a standard hd-install).Thanks.
Posted by kingduct on Jan. 18 2007,18:49
Okay, I will contribute here a bit the info I learned. 1st, it is in fact easy to compile stuff running knoppix as a livecd
2nd, there are two different drivers available for the adm8211 card. The superior driver is open sourced and available from < http://aluminum.sourmilk.net/adm8211/ > and it works in DSL -- sometimes (note that the last version that works with kernel 2.4 is 20041111). I got it to work on one computer, but not on another (when I insmoded it, I got failure errors). thus I used the other driver:
The inferior driver is one made by the manufacturer. It is no longer available from the manufacturer (whose website is now defunct), but you can find the driver on < http://www.latinsud.com/adm8211/ > and then make it. This driver worked for me on the older computer I use DSL on and is the driver I will continue to use. On my card, the green light indicating a connection doesn't turn on...so I never actually know the status of my connection without pinging.
3. I have a standard hd-install, which means that I can easily change config files. I added the insmod command to /opt/bootlocal.sh and then it is loaded on bootup and since DSL automatically tries to connect to a local dhcp, it connects automatically (the wireless is the only network card this computer has, thus is eth0).
If anybody wants either of these drivers, I have them both compiled, but nowhere to post them...so respond to this post.
Posted by roberts on Jan. 18 2007,20:02
I would like to start a modules download section.So, please email modules with md5 checksum and an info file so users know what the modules does and how to confgure, etc.
Send to extensions@damnsmalllinux.org
Also, note, you should be able to store your modules in the mydsl/modules directory and they will be automatically insmod at boot time.
Posted by Juanito on Jan. 19 2007,04:30
It might be good to include drivers that are not strictly modules but required for DSL - eg:1. Synaptics touchpad driver for XFree86
2. 855wrap & 855patch for Intel 855 graphics
Do you think there would be an interest for these?
Posted by roberts on Jan. 19 2007,04:37
Sure, sounds good. I will call it modules and drivers. Just be sure to make the info file as that a user knows what it is and how to use it.Also, please let me know in the email that this is for the modules/drivers section.
With the community helping we can get these other devices supported in DSL.
Posted by kingduct on Jan. 20 2007,04:22
Okay, I emailed you both drivers. Putting the driver in my lib/modules directory does seem to autoload it (I use a traditional hd-install).
A question for the other poster, is there an easy way to install the synaptics touchpad driver?
Thank you all for your help!
Posted by Juanito on Jan. 20 2007,04:48
| Quote (kingduct @ Jan. 20 2007,03:22) |
A question for the other poster, is there an easy way to install the synaptics touchpad driver? |
I'll e-mail the synaptics driver in a day or so with instructions for use in the .info file
Posted by kingduct on Jan. 29 2007,03:39
So, I am still interested in the synaptics touchpad driver. Where is this new section!?
Posted by Juanito on Jan. 29 2007,04:01
I submitted the synaptics driver a few days ago - give Roberts time to get around to posting it...
Posted by roberts on Jan. 29 2007,05:58
< Modules & Drivers >
Posted by WDef on Feb. 03 2007,13:49
Sorry to jump back in the thread - re compiling modules on Knoppix3.4-2004-05-16
(since I've just been trying this)
This should be the best solution because you'll get the same release of gcc-2.95 that dsl's kernel was compiled with. Modules are only ever supposed to be compiled with _exactly _ the same gcc version as was the kernel.
Unfortunately though, the contents of /usr/src on that knoppix are not always enough - in which case a 2.4.26 kernel source tree need to be prepared (begin a kernel recompile and quit early).
If./configure allows a pointer to the sources on the hd this is fine, otherwise I've tried editing the Makefile to point at same (doesn't always seem to work).
A problem with compiling from the livecd is that Knoppix 3.4's /usr tree is not writeable (no unionfs), so you can't symlink /usr/src/linux-2.4/.26 to your sources, which means /lib/modules/2.4.26/build is not linked to the sources either.
I have tried doing a mkwriteable type of thing on the /usr tree but ran out of ram ... a hd install of knoppix would be altogether easier.
I have compiled new loop-aes & ciphers modules which seem to work well, I'll get around to posting these ...
Posted by WDef on Feb. 03 2007,13:53
*deleted inadvertent double post*
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Feb. 03 2007,19:43
| Quote |
| This should be the best solution because you'll get the same release of gcc-2.95 that dsl's kernel was compiled with. Modules are only ever supposed to be compiled with _exactly _ the same gcc version as was the kernel. |
| Quote |
| Unfortunately though, the contents of /usr/src on that knoppix are not always enough - in which case a 2.4.26 kernel source tree need to be prepared (begin a kernel recompile and quit early). If./configure allows a pointer to the sources on the hd this is fine, otherwise I've tried editing the Makefile to point at same (doesn't always seem to work). A problem with compiling from the livecd is that Knoppix 3.4's /usr tree is not writeable (no unionfs), so you can't symlink /usr/src/linux-2.4/.26 to your sources, which means /lib/modules/2.4.26/build is not linked to the sources either. I have tried doing a mkwriteable type of thing on the /usr tree but ran out of ram ... a hd install of knoppix would be altogether easier. |
Posted by WDef on Feb. 03 2007,21:26
I thought someone might say that. More precicely: I'm not certain (?) that Janito's is the exact same release as the gcc-2.95 on knoppix 3.4 - the latter is some Debian-pre-release-blah blah version. They might indeed be the same. So, until, this is confirmed ... | Quote |
| symlink from /usr/src/linux to somewhere on a hdd |
Err.. that's around the wrong way :=) You can't do:
| Code Sample |
| ln -s /somewhere_on_hd/sources /usr/src/linux-2.4.26 |
You can't write a symlink to /usr/src. It ain't writeable. The other way around would need to clobber your sources.