the message following is from Tom Blinn, who responded quite swiftly, thanks
i did some experimentation. i thought (or rather, hoped) that the options
(such as the one i cited 'NFS') were not actually required by the kernel,
but were instead required by the binaries used to build the kernel
('doconfig' creates the build directory and links object files and such from
'/usr/sys/BINARY', so when it does the rebuild, it already has most of the
code pre-compiled.. at least thats how it appears to me).. i took a kernel
configuration taken from 'doconfig' (without any options, as dr. blinn
recommended) and did the following:
build from 'doconfig' (no changes)
build from 'doconfig' (changed the NFS options, just as a test)
build from same file doconfig created (cd /usr/sys/conf;./config KERNEL;cd
../KERNEL;make depend) (changed the NFS option)
the first builds a bootable kernel
the second fails (as expected)
the third fails (after compiling 2 days, it has to rebuild all of the code
that in in the BINARY dir normally linked too)
i haven't yet bothered to see if i can build a kernel from scratch (i.e. only
source) without changing any options, save that for another day
note: these builds were done on an alphastation 255/233 (just so you have a
reference on the speed of the system, for my mention of the 2 day compilation)
note also: to get a build to work (without doconfig), i had to alter the
makefile in the build directory as follows:
target_machine = ${target_machine?${target_machine}:${MACHINE}}
current_machine = ${current_machine?${current_machine}:${MACHINE}}
replace with
target_machine = ${MACHINE}
current_machine = ${MACHINE}
the only thing i can really conclude is that the kernel doesn't appear to
be very configurable, in some respects
that's all i really have, make of it what you will, it was mostly just
intellectual curiosity
#-To: dan_at_nixon.ocis.temple.edu
#-Subject: Re: osf kernel
#-Date: Fri, 07 May 99 16:52:06 -0400
#-From: "Dr. Tom Blinn, 603-884-0646" <tpb_at_doctor.zk3.dec.com>
#-
#-
#-> i have been trying to build a bare-minimum unix kernel on my system, but
#-> unfortunately i am running into difficulties (largely poor documentation and
#-> whatnot)... i found some info on digital's own website, but to my dismay, it
#-> appears to be incomplete and possibly inaccurate (a few of the options
#-> listed as 'required' are commented out in the '/usr/sys/conf/GENERIC' file,
#-> & why is 'option NFS' required? (source:
http://www.unix.digital.com/faqs/
#-> publications/base_doc/DOCUMENTATION/V40D_HTML/APS2RETE/DOCU_010.HTM#CONFIG))
#-> ...
#->
#-> if anyone has any info/links/docs/etc it would be greatly appreciated
#-
#-Begging the question of WHY you are trying to do this..
#-
#-"doconfig" can be your friend. Start with the config file generated by
#-using "doconfig" and specifying "none of the above". You can also go to
#-the directory /usr/share/lib/kernel_options and diff the two files
#-.proto..kernel_options.db and kernel_options.db; the lines in the latter
#-with ':M:' are things that are mandatory on your system, and if they are
#-not set ':M:' in the .proto.. file, you can probably change them back to
#-':O:' to make them optional again; in V4.0D, the FFM and PROCFS options
#-get set to "mandatory" during the last install step because Advanced
#-Server needs them, even though most people don't use that optional set
#-of software.
#-
#-Other than that, you have to experiment. Sometimes things are mandatory
#-because their presence in the "options" causes global variables to get set
#-up in the load that would be omitted otherwise, and that are not defined
#-in any conditional way (e.g., with a stub routine built at kernel build time)
#-and the load fails if they aren't included. Whether that's why NFS is in the
#-build or not, I don't know.
#-
#-Oh, yeah, to get the "menu" from doconfig, you need to run doconfig without
#-any options. You might specify "MINIMAL" as a config name.
#-
#-Have fun!
#-
#-Tom
#-
#- Dr. Thomas P. Blinn + UNIX Software Group + Compaq Computer Corporation
#- 110 Spit Brook Road, MS ZKO3-2/W17 Nashua, New Hampshire 03062-2698
#- Technology Partnership Engineering Phone: (603) 884-0646
#- Internet: tpb_at_zk3.dec.com Digital's Easynet: alpha::tpb
#- ACM Member: tpblinn_at_acm.org PC_at_Home: tom_at_felines.mv.net
#-
#- Worry kills more people than work because more people worry than work.
#-
#- Keep your stick on the ice. -- Steve Smith ("Red Green")
#-
#- My favorite palindrome is: Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas.
#- -- Phil Agre, pagre_at_ucsd.edu
#-
#- Yesterday it worked / Today it is not working / UNIX is like that
#- -- apologies to Margaret Segall
#-
#- Opinions expressed herein are my own, and do not necessarily represent
#- those of my employer or anyone else, living or dead, real or imagined.
#-
Received on Tue May 11 1999 - 17:59:34 NZST