install kernel source for fedora8

Install Kernel Source

07 November 2007

Installing the kernel source is typically NOT needed unless you wish to re-compile your kernel or for some special development. However in some cases the may be required.

There are 3 basic steps involved in installing the kernel source.

1. Download the desired kernel source (matching your current kernel if required)
2. Installing the SRC.RPM package
3. Using rpmbuild to prepare the source into a usable state

NOTE: Following these steps will consume at least 400MB of disk space!

1. Download the Kernel Source

Obtaining Kernel Source (for default Fedora 8 kernel)

The default kernel source can be found through any Fedora mirror. Look in the directory "/source/SRPMS/" under the "/8/" directory . For example: .

kernel-2.6.23.1-42.fc8.src.rpm 31-Oct-2007 00:06 46M

Obtaining Kernel Source (for an updated Fedora 8 kernel)

If you updated your kernel, then the typically the last 2 or 3 releases of the source of the kernel will be available though the Fedora updates. IF YOU REQUIRE you can (try to) match the kernel source with your running kernel.

Look in the update directory on most Fedora mirror sites. For example: .

Obtaining Kernel Source through 'yum' (for latest Fedora 8 kernel)

There are yum utilities which will download the LATEST kernel source. If it does not find anything, then there are no updates (yet) use the DEFAULT Fedora kernel source.

[mirandam@charon ~]$  yum install yum-utils
[mirandam@charon ~]$ cd downloads
[mirandam@charon downloads]$ yumdownloader --source kernel

2. Install the Kernel Source

Install the kernel.src.rpm that you chose to download in the previous steps.

[mirandam@charon downloads]$ sudo rpm -ivh kernel-2.6.23.1-42.fc8.src.rpm
   1:kernel                 ########################################### [100%]

Ignore group kojibuilder does not exist or user kojibuilder does not exist warnings.

3. Prepare the Source

To prepare the source to be useable:

[mirandam@charon downloads]$ sudo rpmbuild -bp --target=$(uname -m) /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/kernel.spec

The source files will be properly located in /usr/src/redhat/BUILD/kernel-2.6.23/. There are 2 useful directories:

1. linux-2.6.23.ARCH/
   This will have the standard kernel.org kernel WITH Fedora patches and updates. The ARCH architecture will match the output of uname -m, usually i686. You may use noarch for the --target= option if you wish.
2. vanilla/
   This will have the standard kernel.org kernel ONLY (no patches or updates).

NOTE: The process Fedora uses to build and configure kernels can be found in greater depth on the . The above information is very basic and meant to allow access to the source and not necessarily build it.