man kernel package Command

Man page for apt-get kernel package Command

Man Page for kernel package in Linux

This tutorial shows the man page for man kernel package in linux.

Open terminal with 'su' access and type the command as shown below:
man kernel package

Result of the Command Execution shown below:

KERNEL PACKAGE(5)                                                      Debian GNU/Linux manual                                                     KERNEL PACKAGE(5)



NAME
       kernel package   A system for creating kernel related packages

DESCRIPTION
       The  kernel package package grew out of desire to automate the routine steps required to compile and install a custom kernel. If you are looking for instruc Äê
       tions on how to use kernel package, please have a look at the manual make kpkg (1).  Configuring instructions are to be found in kernel pkg.conf(5).

Advantages of using kernel package
              i) Convenience.
                     I used to compile kernels manually, and it involved a series of steps to be taken in order; kernel package was written to take all the required
                     steps  (it  has grown beyond that now, but essentially, that is what it does). This is especially important to novices: make kpkg takes all the
                     steps required to compile a kernel, and installation of kernels is a snap.

              ii) Multiple images support
                     It allows you to keep multiple version of kernel images on your machine with no fuss.

              iii) Multiple Flavors of the same kernel version
                     It has a facility for you to keep multiple flavors of the same kernel version on your machine (you could have a stable 2.0.36  version,  and  a
                     2.0.36 version patched with the latest drivers, and not worry about contaminating the modules in /lib/modules).

              iv) Built in defaults
                     It knows that some architectures do not have vmlinuz (using vmlinux instead), and other use zImage rather than bzImage, and calls the appropri Äê
                     ate target, and takes care of moving the correct file into place.

              v) Module hooks
                     Several other kernel module packages are hooked into kernel package, so one can seamlessly compile, say, pcmcia modules at the same time as one
                     compiles a kernel, and be assured that the modules so compiled are compatible.

              vi) dpkg support
                     It  enables  you  to  use the package management system to keep track of the kernels created. Using make kpkg creates a .deb file, and dpkg can
                     track it for you. This facilitates the task of other packages that depend on the kernel packages.

              vii) Configuration tracking
                     It keeps track of the configuration file for each kernel image in /boot, which is part of the image package, and hence is the kernel image  and
                     the configuration file are always together.

              viii) Multiple config files
                     It  allows you to specify a directory with config files, with separate config files for each sub architecture (even allows for different config
                     files for i386, i486, etc). It is really neat for people who need to compile kernels for a variety of sub architectures.

              ix) Auxiliary kernel .deb packages
                     It allows to create a package with the headers, or the sources, also as a deb file, and enables the package management system to keep track  of
                     those (and there are packages that depend on the package management system being aware of these packages).

              x) Maintainer script services
                     Since  the kernel image package is a full fledged Debian package, it comes with maintainer scripts, which allow the user to add hook scripts to
                     run when the package status changes.

              xi) Sub architecture support
                     There is support for the multitudinous sub architectures that have blossomed under the umbrella of the m68k and power PC architectures.

              xii) Portable kernel images
                     Allows one to compile a kernel for another computer, for example using a fast machine to compile  the  kernel  for  installation  on  a  slower
                     machine. This is really nice since the modules are all included in the .deb; and one does not have to deal with modules manually.

              xiii) runtime hooks
                     The  preinst, postinst, prerm and the postrm scripts allow the local admin on the installation machine to add a script into runtime hooks; this
                     can allow, amongst other things, grub users to add and remove kernel image stanzas from the grub menu (example scripts to do this  are  in  the
                     package).  There are directories under /etc/kernel where related package may drop off scripts that will be run by the maintainer scripts of the
                     packages created by kernel package. Before running these scripts, the environment variable KERNEL_PACKAGE_VERSION shall be set to  the  version
                     of the kernel package that created the package.

              xiv) Append descriptive bits to the kernel version
                     One  can  append  to  the  kernel  version  on  the  command  line,  or  by  setting  an environment variable. So if your kernel is called ker Äê
                     nel image 2.4.1John.Home; it is unlikely to be overridden by the official 2.4.1 kernel, since they are not the same version.

Disadvantages of using make kpkg
       i) Automation.
              This is a cookie cutter approach to compiling kernels, and there are people who like being close to the bare metal.

       ii) Non traditional
              This is not how it is done in the non Debian world. This flouts tradition. (It has been pointed out, though, that this is fast becoming Debian  tradi Äê
              tion).

       iii) Needs superuser
              It forces you to use fakeroot or sudo or super or be root to create a kernel image .deb file (this is not as bad as it used to be before fakeroot)

FILES
       /etc/kernel pkg.conf.  /etc/kernel img.conf.

SEE ALSO
       make kpkg(1), make(1), The GNU Make manual.

BUGS
       There are no bugs.  Any resemblance thereof is delirium. Really.

AUTHOR
       This manual page was written by Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system.



Debian                                                                      May  25 1999                                                           KERNEL PACKAGE(5)-

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