How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[Sampson Fung]

>From v2.5.49 up, I can only test the compiled kernel, if it compiles at
all, with modules disabled completely.
Of course, I have to say that I do not try much before v2.5.49.

I think new comers, myselft included, can make use of standard templates
of kernel .config file.

First of all, "standard templates" are tested that they will be compiled
without problem.
They should be able to boot.
They should have a working "framework" of "modules", for example, lsmod
works without any problem.  (And any other "required" modutils as well)
They shuold supports further kernel compile. (With small incremental
changes to the base "standard template").

Then I can try to compile my lan card as modules.
Then try to compile my SCSI card, etc, etc.

Does similar "standard templates" exist already?  

Where can I search for known bugs centrally, so that I can help myself
as much as possible?

Regards,
Sampson Fung
sampson@attglobal.net

Re: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[John Bradford]

> From v2.5.49 up, I can only test the compiled kernel, if it compiles at
> all, with modules disabled completely.
> Of course, I have to say that I do not try much before v2.5.49.
> 
> I think new comers, myselft included, can make use of standard templates
> of kernel .config file.

Try a minimal configuration, or the default one, (which is whatever
Linus uses).  Avoid modular IDE for now.

> First of all, "standard templates" are tested that they will be compiled
> without problem.
> They should be able to boot.
> They should have a working "framework" of "modules", for example, lsmod
> works without any problem.  (And any other "required" modutils as well)
> They shuold supports further kernel compile. (With small incremental
> changes to the base "standard template").

Sounds like an excellent job for a new kernel hacker to take on board
- why not make the standard templates yourself, and post them to the
list for each 2.5.x tree.  It *would* be quite useful, and save a lot
of developers' time, for example, it would stop a lot of people
complaining about modular IDE.

> Then I can try to compile my lan card as modules.
> Then try to compile my SCSI card, etc, etc.
> 
> Does similar "standard templates" exist already?  

No.

> Where can I search for known bugs centrally, so that I can help myself
> as much as possible?

* The mailing list archives
* Kernel Bugzilla
* (hopefully in a week or so) my new bug database which I am currently
  writing.

John.

RE: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[Sampson Fung]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org 
> [mailto:linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org] On Behalf Of John Bradford
> Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2002 2:08 AM
> To: Sampson Fung
> Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
> Subject: Re: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.
> 
> 
> > From v2.5.49 up, I can only test the compiled kernel, if it 
> compiles 
> > at all, with modules disabled completely. Of course, I have to say 
> > that I do not try much before v2.5.49.
> > 
> > I think new comers, myselft included, can make use of standard 
> > templates of kernel .config file.
> 
> Try a minimal configuration, or the default one, (which is 
> whatever Linus uses).  Avoid modular IDE for now.
> 
Where is the default .config?  I am eager to have a try.

> > First of all, "standard templates" are tested that they will be 
> > compiled without problem. They should be able to boot.
> > They should have a working "framework" of "modules", for 
> example, lsmod
> > works without any problem.  (And any other "required" 
> modutils as well)
> > They shuold supports further kernel compile. (With small incremental
> > changes to the base "standard template").
> 
> Sounds like an excellent job for a new kernel hacker to take on board
> - why not make the standard templates yourself, and post them 
> to the list for each 2.5.x tree.  It *would* be quite useful, 
> and save a lot of developers' time, for example, it would 
> stop a lot of people complaining about modular IDE.
> 

I can post my config as I am using common hardware config.
But I cannot make the "framework" of "modules" working for me.

> > Then I can try to compile my lan card as modules.
> > Then try to compile my SCSI card, etc, etc.
> > 
> > Does similar "standard templates" exist already?
> 
> No.
> 
> > Where can I search for known bugs centrally, so that I can 
> help myself 
> > as much as possible?
> 
> * The mailing list archives
> * Kernel Bugzilla
> * (hopefully in a week or so) my new bug database which I am currently
>   writing.
> 
> John.

Sampson

Re: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[Sam Ravnborg]

On Sun, Dec 22, 2002 at 02:30:13AM +0800, Sampson Fung wrote:
> Where is the default .config?  I am eager to have a try.

Try "make help"

That will teach you about:
make defconfig		<= Linus's own configuration (well more or less)
make allnoconfig	<= Minimal config, but often it does not compile

The reason "allnoconfig" often fails, is that for example some part of
the kernel may assume networking to be enabled. And in general
only few people try "allnoconfig", because the resulting kernel is
seldom of any use.

	Sam

First Bug Found : RE: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[Sampson Fung]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org
> [mailto:linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org] On Behalf Of Sam Ravnborg
> Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2002 3:11 AM
> To: Sampson Fung
> Cc: 'John Bradford'; 'Sampson Fung'; linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
> Subject: Re: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.
>
>
> On Sun, Dec 22, 2002 at 02:30:13AM +0800, Sampson Fung wrote:
> > Where is the default .config?  I am eager to have a try.
>
> Try "make help"
>
> That will teach you about:
> make defconfig                <= Linus's own configuration
> (well more or less)
> make allnoconfig      <= Minimal config, but often it does not compile
>

make defconfig compiled ok.  modules are enabled, although only
"kernel/drivers/net/dummy.ko" exist.
It is bootable on my system in spite of P4 cpu selected in .config while
mine is a PIII.
And "lsmod" returns only the header row.  (A good sing for me)

Here is my first problem:  (This problem exist since v2.5.49, and up to
v2.5.52)
In will be talk about the following 4 lines below:

=============================

General setup  --->
Loadable module support  --->
Processor type and features  --->
============================     
1.	I ssh into my box, terminal is ANSI, rows=25, columns=80
a.	Just after "make menuconfig", what I get is:

The letter 'P' is actuall at Column 5
=============================

General setup  --->
Loadable module support  --->
Processor type and features  --->
============================     

b.	Press <down arrow> once, what I get is:

The letter 'P' is actuall at Column 5
The letter 'C' and second 'G' is actuall at Column 15
=============================
                Code maturity level options  --->
General seGeneral setup  --->
Loadable module support  --->
Processor type and features  --->
============================     

c.	If I kept pressing <down arrow>, the first letter of the current
title will be overlay to the column 15 of the current, for each line.

2.	If I "make menuconfig" in Console, where terminal is "linux",
the "horizontal displacement" still occur but only at 2 columns to the
right hand side only.

3.	The same problem for v2.4.20

Is this a know bug?  Where should I search before posting here? 

Sampson
A new comer to Kernel testing.

Re: First Bug Found : RE: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[John Bradford]

> Here is my first problem:  (This problem exist since v2.5.49, and up to
> v2.5.52)
> In will be talk about the following 4 lines below:
> 
> =============================
> 
> General setup  --->
> Loadable module support  --->
> Processor type and features  --->
> ============================     
> 1.	I ssh into my box, terminal is ANSI, rows=25, columns=80
> a.	Just after "make menuconfig", what I get is:
> 
> The letter 'P' is actuall at Column 5
> =============================
> 
> General setup  --->
> Loadable module support  --->
> Processor type and features  --->
> ============================     
> 
> b.	Press <down arrow> once, what I get is:
> 
> The letter 'P' is actuall at Column 5
> The letter 'C' and second 'G' is actuall at Column 15
> =============================
>                 Code maturity level options  --->
> General seGeneral setup  --->
> Loadable module support  --->
> Processor type and features  --->
> ============================     
> 
> c.	If I kept pressing <down arrow>, the first letter of the current
> title will be overlay to the column 15 of the current, for each line.
> 
> 2.	If I "make menuconfig" in Console, where terminal is "linux",
> the "horizontal displacement" still occur but only at 2 columns to the
> right hand side only.
> 
> 3.	The same problem for v2.4.20
> 
> Is this a know bug?

I don't think so, but I did notice that make menuconfig wasn't working
properly on a serial console with the recent 2.5 trees.

> Where should I search before posting here?

The MAINTAINERS file tells you who to contact, (as well as this list):

CONFIGURE, MENUCONFIG, XCONFIG
P:      Michael Elizabeth Chastain

John.

Re: First Bug Found : RE: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[Sam Ravnborg]

> The MAINTAINERS file tells you who to contact, (as well as this list):
> 
> CONFIGURE, MENUCONFIG, XCONFIG
> P:      Michael Elizabeth Chastain

Despite the MAINTANERS file, roman Zippel is the right person to contact.
roman ripped out three different shell ased parsers and replaced them
with a single parser written in yacc and c.
During this process 2make menuconfig" functionality was altered.

Roman has the following address:
Roman Zippel <zippel@linux-m68k.org>

	Sam

Re: First Bug Found : RE: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[John Bradford]

> > The MAINTAINERS file tells you who to contact, (as well as this list):
> > 
> > CONFIGURE, MENUCONFIG, XCONFIG
> > P:      Michael Elizabeth Chastain
> 
> Despite the MAINTANERS file, roman Zippel is the right person to contact.
> roman ripped out three different shell ased parsers and replaced them
> with a single parser written in yacc and c.
> During this process 2make menuconfig" functionality was altered.

Whoops, sorry, I should have realised, especially as I was discussing
that menuconfig problem a couple of weeks ago :-)

John.

Additional Bug Found--RE: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[Sampson Fung]

After successfully compile and install the "make defconfig" of kernel
2.5.52, I got a strange keyboard problem.

I am using a standard 104 keys keyboard from Compaq.

I and having problems with the <'> (single quote) and <`> (back tick)
key.
The same problem exist for <"> (double quote) and <~> (tile) key.

The problem is, when I press any one of the above keys, continously, the
character will not show up in console.  One and only one pressed key
shows up once I press a different key other than the above 4.

All other keys are OK.  (I don't know how to test the Function keys!)

Any hints?

Sampson Fung
A new comer to Kernel Testing.

Re: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[John Bradford]

> > > I think new comers, myselft included, can make use of standard 
> > > templates of kernel .config file.
> > 
> > Try a minimal configuration, or the default one, (which is 
> > whatever Linus uses).  Avoid modular IDE for now.
> > 
> Where is the default .config?  I am eager to have a try.

Just do:

make distclean; make defconfig

and the default .config will be generated.

> > > First of all, "standard templates" are tested that they will be 
> > > compiled without problem. They should be able to boot.
> > > They should have a working "framework" of "modules", for 
> > > example, lsmod works without any problem.  (And any other
> > > "required" modutils as well)
> > > They shuold supports further kernel compile. (With small incremental
> > > changes to the base "standard template").
> > 
> > Sounds like an excellent job for a new kernel hacker to take on board
> > - why not make the standard templates yourself, and post them 
> > to the list for each 2.5.x tree.  It *would* be quite useful, 
> > and save a lot of developers' time, for example, it would 
> > stop a lot of people complaining about modular IDE.
> 
> I can post my config as I am using common hardware config.
> But I cannot make the "framework" of "modules" working for me.

Don't worry about the hardware options - just assume that the ones in
defconfig work OK - but try to successfully build as many features
like different filesystems, etc.

John.

Re: First Bug Found : RE: How to help new comers trying the v2.5x series kernels.

[Michael Elizabeth Chastain]

Sam Ravnborg writes:
> Despite the MAINTANERS file, roman Zippel is the right person to contact.
> roman ripped out three different shell ased parsers and replaced them
> with a single parser written in yacc and c.
> During this process 2make menuconfig" functionality was altered.

Right.  I'm retired now, which means I'm good if anyone needs insight
into history from 1995-1999 or so, but not much else.

Michael C