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5. Compile Kernel

Now that you are through with all that configuration, you need to actually compile the kernel source into something that the computer can understand. These next steps will make anything you compiled into a module and make the actual kernel file, bzImage.

5.1 Make Dep

After the configuration closes, run "make dep" just like it tells you to. This calculates the dependencies in the kernel source tree. This is a long process, so you can take a break for a while.

5.2 Make Modules

This makes anything that you complied as a module, into the code needed for the kernel to use. This wont take too long unless you told many things to be modules instead of permanently in the kernel.

5.3 Make Modules_Install

This installs the modules where the kernel can access them when needed. This only takes a few moments.

5.4 Make bzImage

This is the command that actually compiles the kernel into the binary code for your PC to read. This will take a very long time depending on your system. On a newer, faster machine it might take less than 30 minutes, but if the computer is a 486 or older it may take many hours, even days, especially if the system does not have much RAM (16 MB or less). While your waiting you can probably go eat lunch, write a book, or negotiate world peace, so have something useful to do while your waiting.



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