Documentation
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| − | + | <h1>Kernel backports project</h1> | |
| − | + | The Linux kernel backports project aims at backporting Linux ''upstream'' device drivers for usage on older kernels. The point of the project is to provide a central mechanism | |
| − | + | <h2>Release types</h2> | |
| − | + | Both daily snapshots based on [http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/next/linux-next.git linux-next], and stable releases based [http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git Linux's stable releases] are provided. | |
| − | + | <h2>Usage guide</h2> | |
| − | + | Building backports follows the same build mechanism as building the Linux kernel. | |
| − | < | + | <pre> |
| + | # as a user | ||
| + | make menuconfig | ||
| + | make | ||
| + | # as root | ||
| + | make install | ||
| + | # reboot and enjoy | ||
| + | </pre> | ||
| − | + | Its understood users may not how to configure the backports package, just like they may not know how to configure the Linux kernel, so a short cut is provided with default configuration files that can be used to only build their drivers / subsystems of interest. | |
| − | + | <pre> | |
| + | make defconfig-help | ||
| + | </pre> | ||
| + | |||
| + | If you use this option just use the 'make defconf-option' in replacement for ''make menuconfig'' above. For example to compile all DRM drivers: | ||
| + | |||
| + | <pre> | ||
| + | # as a user | ||
| + | make defconfig-drm | ||
| + | make | ||
| + | # as root | ||
| + | make install | ||
| + | </pre> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Note that there are only default configuration files written for a few drivers while the project actually backports over 830 device drivers, the reason we have default configuration files for a few drivers is simply because developer have provided a default config options for them. What we really need is a 'make localmodconfig' support but that will take a while given that it involves mapping older kernel configs to newer kernel configs (which likely would be welcomed upstream as well). | ||
Revision as of 09:21, 16 July 2013
Kernel backports project
The Linux kernel backports project aims at backporting Linux upstream device drivers for usage on older kernels. The point of the project is to provide a central mechanism
Release types
Both daily snapshots based on linux-next, and stable releases based Linux's stable releases are provided.
Usage guide
Building backports follows the same build mechanism as building the Linux kernel.
# as a user make menuconfig make # as root make install # reboot and enjoy
Its understood users may not how to configure the backports package, just like they may not know how to configure the Linux kernel, so a short cut is provided with default configuration files that can be used to only build their drivers / subsystems of interest.
make defconfig-help
If you use this option just use the 'make defconf-option' in replacement for make menuconfig above. For example to compile all DRM drivers:
# as a user make defconfig-drm make # as root make install
Note that there are only default configuration files written for a few drivers while the project actually backports over 830 device drivers, the reason we have default configuration files for a few drivers is simply because developer have provided a default config options for them. What we really need is a 'make localmodconfig' support but that will take a while given that it involves mapping older kernel configs to newer kernel configs (which likely would be welcomed upstream as well).
