Handbook Talk:AMD64/Installation/Kernel

UEFI confusion
I believe the "With UEFI systems" should be changed to "With UEFI systems using EFI stub" or simply "When using EFI stub" (where it tells you to copy the kernel to /boot/efi/boot/ ). This caused problems and confusion when installing my first UEFI system. GRUB2 will automatically take care of creating the directories and copying the correct file to the location for GRUB2 to work when you run grub2-install (later in the handbook, configuring the bootloader). A friend whom I helped install Gentoo also found this confusing so I thought I would look into getting it changed.

Thanks!


 * Thanks,, we'll review and make adjustments as appropriate! Please be sure to sign your comments using the button in the menu bar above! :) --Maffblaster (talk) 19:50, 22 May 2016 (UTC)

Stripping debugging symbols from the kernel
I am assuming most people new to gentoo are not going to start debugging the kernel. After all, the handbook audience is not only kernel hackers. Hence, it would be neat to add explanation how to strip the debugging symbols from the kernel and the modules. This saves some disk space, and sheds some more light on compiling the kernel. It would be good to add a note about this right below

make && make modules_install

Stating one can strip the modules from debugging symbols using:

make INSTALL_MOD_STRIP=1 modules_install --Oz123 (talk) 21:19, 8 June 2016 (UTC)


 * The Handbook is not the place to mention specifics on kernel configuration. Entire books could be written on the subject. It would be better for our readers to look at the Kernel article and the various sub-articles beneath it (see Kernel/Configuration for what you're mentioning).


 * Thanks for signing your comment. Lots of people forget. --Maffblaster (talk) 20:49, 18 August 2016 (UTC)

USB 3.0
I believe the handbook should mention that modern systems likely have USB 3.0, and so users should turn on USB 3.0 support in the kernel:

Device Drivers --> USB support --> xHCI HCD (USB 3.0) support

which is actually off by default. Without this, USB devices, including internal ones like some webcams, will not be detected at all, and `lsusb` won't work.


 * The Handbook is not the place to mention too many specifics on kernel configuration. Entire books could be written on the subject. It would be better for our readers to look at the Kernel article and the various sub-articles beneath it (see Kernel/Configuration for what you're mentioning).


 * Please don't forget to sign your comments on talk pages. --Maffblaster (talk) 20:49, 18 August 2016 (UTC)


 * I will end up adding a snippet for USB 3.0 since the other USB drivers are mentioned. --Maffblaster (talk) 22:10, 20 April 2017 (UTC)

Remind/note user to enable SCSI support
I think there might be a need for a small note to make sure that user enables CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SD to be able to use any normal storage media. I know it needs to be in there, but as evidence points out - it can be left out by a mistake as it isn't a dependency (an automatic one) for normal SATA functionality. I don't know how often people stumble into this problem, but I guess it wouldn't hurt anyone to mention about it?

--Zucca (talk) 12:19, 12 December 2016 (UTC)


 * It has been added. Thanks! --Maffblaster (talk) 22:42, 20 April 2017 (UTC)

Typo
"CONFIG_TMPF" should be fixed to "CONFIG_TMPFS". Fturco (talk) 15:27, 16 April 2017 (UTC)

Edit: also "we enables" should be fixed to "we enable" as well Fturco (talk) 15:28, 16 April 2017 (UTC)


 * I think you could go ahead and fix typos. Typo fixes don't add anything that needs much of a review. ;) --Zucca (talk) 16:48, 16 April 2017 (UTC)


 * It would be wonderful if I could do that, but unfortunately I don't have permissions to edit the Handbook. Fturco (talk) 20:24, 16 April 2017 (UTC)


 * Oh. Didn't notice this was handbook article. My bad. --Zucca (talk) 22:13, 16 April 2017 (UTC)


 * Fixed. Thanks! --Maffblaster (talk) 22:07, 20 April 2017 (UTC)

Suggested change to kernel build process
Configuring and building the kernel could be done as a limited user. This would prevent bugs in the kernel build process from affecting the rest of the install. It also sets up the system to allow future kernel builds/upgrades to follow the same pattern preventing kernel build process bugs from affecting the whole system including user home areas.

My suggested additions are as root create a limited user to build the kernel e.g. kernel_builder as root chown /usr/src/linux to the kernel build user

then as the kernel build user create /usr/src/linux/My_INSTALL_PATH and /usr/src/linux/My_INSTALL_MOD_PATH configure and build kernel export INSTALL_PATH=/usr/src/linux/My_INSTALL_PATH export INSTALL_MOD_PATH=/usr/src/linux/My_INSTALL_MOD_PATH make install make modules_install

then as root copy kernel and modules to required folders

Advantages - whole build process including installing modules is done as a limited kernel build user. Other tools/packages looking for things in /usr/src/linux will find them.