Weird behaviour when compiling iptables

Weird behaviour when compiling iptables

[Atilla]

Hi, I hope I'm posting my question in the correct place. 

Here is the issue - I'm using  the "Core Linux" distribution on an old
PC to aplly some traffic shaping on my ADSL connection. I had no
problems compiling Iptables in the begining and all works for now.

Now - where the problems start. I wanted to try to see how the Layer-7
classifier performs (http://l7-filter.sourceforge.net), so i got the
patches, applied them and tried if it compiles. The kernel worked with
no problem, i compiled it and replaced the old one. However iptables
did not - i type "make KERNEL_DIR=/correct/path/to/patched kernel" and
it just stays there. Nothing happens - no messages no nothing.

So i mailed the guyz, asking for advice and it turned out i can't
compile iptables again whatsoever. I deleted the source file, unpacked
again and tried just "make" - with the default kernel path -  wich is
to unpatched 2.4 files. Same effect - nothing happens , no mesages no
nothing. Compiling it, still without the Layer 7 patch, but with the
2.6.9 kernel dir - same effect.


So I wonder what I did mess up.. I honestly don't remember with wich
kernel I compiled iptables in the first place, but it should have been
with 2.6.9, because it all works without any problems. (Core comes
with 2.4.something by default, but i replaced it almost immediately so
i don't think i compiled anything before switching to 2.6.9).

If you have any ideas how to fix this, please let me know. Thanks. 

-- 
Atilla

Re: Weird behaviour when compiling iptables

[Atilla]

Ok, I got some progress (i think). I got the 2.6.10 kernel, and
compiled it and replaced the old one with it. With and without
patching the kernel and the iptables source i get the same thing:
"Making dependencies, please wait..." and it stays there. CPU usage is
100%, with make forking to cpp0 and cc processes all the time - at
least that's what i got from what TOP shows. I ran STRACE on this -
it's a loooong sequence of things i don't understand but at least i
know it doesn't hang - ot loops continuously doing something.

Now - I'm doing this on a Pentium II 400mhz machine with 128RAM and
1GB swap. The ram usage is VERY low when doing this. I don't know how
much the process should take but I left it yesterday for hours and it
was still doing the same thing. A kernel compile, for example, takes
it like 1/2 an hour.  Oh - and iptables 1.3.0 does the same thing -
"making dependencies, please wait... " - i thought it might do some
difference - it didn't.  So i'm stuck at this point. Apparently i did
something to the system, but i can't figure out what. I haven't been
changing any important things like compilers and libraries and the
such, that's for sure.

I'm kind of new to all this but I figure I'm way too stuck on this
one. Any further clues are highly appreciated.