Hugh wrote:
I used to custom compile my kernel? In some machines I use SCSI card and a scsi hard disk. In other machines, I use ATAPI hard. I have been using reiserfs exclusively nowadays.
I used to hate modules. and I still make all those drivers be in the kernel., rather than modules. For this reason, I have thought I do not need ramdisk nor initrd stuff at all. Is my conclusion still true?
For SuSE, /etc/sysconfig/kernel seems to control the boot process. and if you read inside the file, it seems to assume that initrd must be created. Then where? Why does the boot script checks /initrd instead of /boot/initrd-2.5.21-166-default for example?
You can build into the kernel the modules that are in /etc/sysconfig/kernel INITRD_MODULES="reiserfs" etc., so as not to need initrd, also omit the initrd statement from /boot/grub/menu.lst for any such kernel. Best got rid I reckon, initrd used not to work on 2.5.x kernels, but I think it's OK on 2.6.x.
SuSE's security announcement in http://www.suse.com/de/security/2004_01_linux_kernel.html
assumes that everyone using SuSE distribution uses their stock kernels. What should we know if we custom-compile our own kernels?
Assuming you mean kernels from kernel.org ........ 2.4.x kernels don't use ALSA which is standard for 2.6 and SuSE bootsplash doesn't work, if you care about eye-candy. You can download ALSA and configure your kernel for sound using the config options from /proc/config.gz, building ALSA after you boot the new kernel. "make cloneconfig" is a SuSE kernel only thing. I just copy /proc/config.gz to the kernel sources directory, gunzip it and "mv config .config", then make xconfig. I soon ditch SuSE kernels after I install or upgrade and go the kernel.org route, all the newest kernels have the security fix.
Finally, is my READONLY file system error during bootup related to this topic?
Thanks a lot.
Hugh
Without the message, won't know, however, when you've sorted the initrd problem, you'll have the answer if not the solution. Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce .... Hamradio G3VBV and keen Flyer Linux Only Shop.