Aggressive Kernel

[Keith Adney]

First, thanks to all who wrote.

> real life: skip tmpfs, take normal swap sizes

Cool. I assumed that because of the required size of the swapfile 
(formerly), it was being used in a non-standard way and wouldn't be 
"swappable" w/Mandrake. Will 224MB be adequate w/448MB RAM?
I can use more if I need to. That's what I'm using w/Mandrake.

> I've even had swapfiles in VFAT filesystems over pagefile.sys,
> it's really cool to have 'mkswap /mnt/c/pagefile.sys && swapon
> /mnt/c/pagefile.sys'  in an init script ;^)

;)

> once you have patched the kernel the source stays behind
> and will retain patches of course, maybe you need to wipe
> it before linning the kernel again (make sure you don't
> select the agressive patch and lin -r linux)

I recompiled as suggested, but didn't do the wipe. No change.
I plan to do a fresh install next with the suggested swapfile
changes (I have a limited amount of time to spend on this,
daily...).

> It boots fine, but when 
> I try to load my NIC module (vanilla NIC which uses the
> tulip driver and runs fine w/Mandrake), it tells me that the
> tulip driver was compiled for a vanilla kernel, but I'm using
> an aggressive kernel...

> > that means you also have to recompile the tulip driver.

No, it's compiling the module(s). It's creating an additional
directory in /lib/modules, with "-aggressive" appended to the
directory (ie kernel) name, but there isn't even a /drivers 
directory in this tree. *All* the drivers (including tulip) are 
over in the "standard" tree (ie the one w/o "-aggressive" 
appended). Hence the message RE incompatibility.

> In case the kernel doesn't provide this module you need
> to drop module versions so the kernel just bluntly loads
> them (see make menuconfig).

I'm lost here. Thanks for the reference. I'll research that.

> but the end result's always the same: I can't load my
> NIC and therefore can't do much except play with bash.

> > Where do you get your NIC driver from?
> > I'm really wondering now!

Did I answer this above?

> > not really, lemme do a wild guess:

> > $ grep TULIP /usr/src/linux/.config
> > # CONFIG_TULIP is not set
> > so in my kernel it is not compiled. You would like to see:
> > CONFIG_TULIP=m

Will do, if the next compile isn't successful. Is there anything 
wrong or massively inefficient about compiling it in directly,
as opposed to a module, since the NIC runs all the time?

> What filesystems are required?

> > REQUIRED? none actually, tho that can be quite annoying

;)

> > real life? devfs, tmpfs, procfs are really needed I guess,

I have a strong suspicion that my fs problems are being
caused by the same thing that's causing me problems
loading my NIC driver.

> I seem to be getting messages complaining about an
> inability to read a UMSDOS partition; there are no DOS
> or Windows partitions on the drive (and I'm certainly
> not booting from a Windows partition). It also is
> complaining about missing the UFS filesystem.

> > cdroms? dvds? in your tray? 

Well, yes, since at this point I'm booting via CD. I'm
still trying to figure out how to get the Lunar LILO and
the Mandrake LILO integrated. It doesn't seem to be
working properly on its own, but I considered this a
minor problem at this point, since I can boot from CD
w/no problem.

> It can *have* any of my Windows CDs, to do
> with as it pleases

> > they make excellent coasters.

I disagree. VERY non-absorbent. ;)
And terrible aerodynamics for a frisbee.
I've seen some interesting furniture made w/CDs.

> > Make sure you agreed to the EULA tho.

LMAO.
Goodbye EULA, hello GPL?
Goodbye Joliet, hello Chicago!

Thanks again. I'll report back as soon as I get a
chance at another install - hopefully tomorrow. And
I'll have logs next time!

Blue Skies...Keith