Basic Problems with Red hat
Karl Larsen
2 July 1999
For reasons unknown I have been using monolific kernels up to
the present time. This means that I have no modules to deal with here
in Red Hat 2 and it is working quite well with kernel 2.0.36, but to
learn about modules I compiled a new kernel with needed devices
compiled as modules.
I have discovered that 'depmod -a' makes the file
/lib/modules/2.0.36/modules.dep and that if I use this file I can
make a bash file that has a lot of lines beginning with modprobe.
Actually you can use modprobe -l -t fs (for example) and that will
list everything in the /lib/modules/2.0.36/fs/ directory. This helps
you write the bash file that is called by /etc/rc.d/rc.local at
boot-up.
There is kerneld that works just great if you ever figure out
how to use it. But don't bother because the new kmod is better,
somehow, but I can't figure out how to use that either!
In Red Hat 2 I still have a problem with modules. The old
kernel that came with it had a lot of modules. When I made a new
kernel I deleted a lot of stuff I didn't need from the kernel, but
somewhere in /etc/rc.d there is something calling for modules with
manprobe both during boot and halt. They both fail of course. I
decided to learn from this and listed the number of times "kerneld"
is called in /etc/rc.d/ directory. It is 9 times! I still haven't
found where the file is that has the old kernel module lists.
Enter Red Hat 6. This version has 90% of the 2.2.5 kernel on
board as modules, and a very large file called /boot/modules-2.2.5-15
that was made over several days/weeks by someone. Yesterday for fun I
removed this file to another directory. Red Hat 6 would not even
boot! This is a real important file! It is also hard to understand.
There is a guy named Miquel van Smoorenburg who knows the
bash language far better than most and has designed with other help,
the Red Hat /etc/rc.d/ system. I have found no on-board doc to help
me with understanding how the modules are called.
As it happens I am a Amateur Radio Operator and use some
Linux software that is built to use the kernel. This was no problem
until I tried to upgrade to Red Hat 6 and change the kernel. I can
make the kernel additions either as built-in or modules. But I can't
make the resultant kernel and module-list identical to the one
shipped with Red Hat 6.
Twice I tried to add the items to the kernel and twice I had
to re-load Red Hat 6; either the Linux would not boot, or it boot but
the X window would not work.
I'm looking for help. Does anyone know of a file or book that
explains how Red Hat 6 uses modules? I have read the Red Hat manual
and there is nothing. In fact it has not been updated in that area
since Red Hat 2. I do not think getting as good as Miquel van
Smoorenburg is a solution for me. I'm too old and would die before
getting that good. This is sounding a lot like the Microsoft Registry
file. I bought a book on that which cost $100.00, but it's a great
book, very clear and helpful.
Best wishes
- Karl F. Larsen, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (505) 524-3303 -
