Possible to build-in backports modules into kernel

Possible to build-in backports modules into kernel

[Petr Vorel]

Hi there,

is it possible to build-in to backports modules into kernel (link them into kernel, not
build them as separate modules).

Thanks for any info.

Kind regards,
Petr

Re: Possible to build-in backports modules into kernel

[Larry Finger]

On 04/17/2015 08:30 AM, Petr Vorel wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> is it possible to build-in to backports modules into kernel (link them into kernel, not
> build them as separate modules).

It is possible to build most drivers into the kernel, but it must be done when 
the kernel is compiled and linked. Once the kernel is built, you can only build 
new drivers as modules.

The short answer is no for the backports code. If you want them built-in, grab 
the mainline 4.0 or 3.19.4 source, configure, and build a complete new kernel.

Larry

Re: Possible to build-in backports modules into kernel

[Johannes Berg]

On Fri, 2015-04-17 at 11:14 -0500, Larry Finger wrote:

> The short answer is no for the backports code. If you want them built-in, grab 
> the mainline 4.0 or 3.19.4 source, configure, and build a complete new kernel.

Technically this is not true any more - the backports gentree.py script
now supports kernel integration where it copies the backport into
another kernel tree :)

johannes

Re: Possible to build-in backports modules into kernel

[Luis R. Rodriguez]

On Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 10:28 AM, Johannes Berg
<johannes@sipsolutions.net> wrote:
> Technically this is not true any more - the backports gentree.py script
> now supports kernel integration where it copies the backport into
> another kernel tree :)

Indeed:

https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Documentation/integration

 Luis

Re: Possible to build-in backports modules into kernel

[Larry Finger]

On 04/17/2015 01:03 PM, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 10:28 AM, Johannes Berg
> <johannes@sipsolutions.net> wrote:
>> Technically this is not true any more - the backports gentree.py script
>> now supports kernel integration where it copies the backport into
>> another kernel tree :)
>
> Indeed:
>
> https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Documentation/integration

Just to clarify, the entire kernel will need to be built from some tree. In my 
reading of the original post, I got the impression that Petr wanted to use a 
pre-built kernel.

Larry

Re: Possible to build-in backports modules into kernel

[Johannes Berg]

On Fri, 2015-04-17 at 13:22 -0500, Larry Finger wrote:
> On 04/17/2015 01:03 PM, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> > On Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 10:28 AM, Johannes Berg
> > <johannes@sipsolutions.net> wrote:
> >> Technically this is not true any more - the backports gentree.py script
> >> now supports kernel integration where it copies the backport into
> >> another kernel tree :)
> >
> > Indeed:
> >
> > https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Documentation/integration
> 
> Just to clarify, the entire kernel will need to be built from some tree. In my 
> reading of the original post, I got the impression that Petr wanted to use a 
> pre-built kernel.

Yes, indeed, that's not possible - and doesn't really make sense anyway,
since if you have access to the kernel image and sources to build
against, you might as well rebuild the whole kernel.

johannes

Re: Possible to build-in backports modules into kernel

[Petr Vorel]

Hi there,

> > > https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Documentation/integration
thanks for your comments and the link. I skip that before as I thought it's actually for
backports developers, not users. I'll read it more carefully.

> > Just to clarify, the entire kernel will need to be built from some tree. In my 
> > reading of the original post, I got the impression that Petr wanted to use a 
> > pre-built kernel.

> Yes, indeed, that's not possible - and doesn't really make sense anyway,
> since if you have access to the kernel image and sources to build
> against, you might as well rebuild the whole kernel.

I'm stack with very old kernel (2.6.37 for arm TI's DM365). No pre-built kernel , I've
built the kernel as well, everything is working nice. But as I use embedded device, it
would be nice to have the drivers build-in (performance).

For some of modules I get message: "This feature depends on another which has been
configured as a module. As a result, this feature will be built as a module.". I'll try to
find the dependency, but is there any hint, how to search?

Thanks a lot for backports, it helped me already :-).

Kind regards,
Petr