# Mandrake kernel install howto

## Sasun

Mandrake kernel install howto.

I know you gonna kill me for this one.

I have never made it to compile a proper kernel myself, so I decided to download and install a stock Red Hat kernel. I failed - they do not have DEVFS support compiled in it. So I moved to Mandrake - they do have DEVFS enabled.

These are the steps:

 Become the superuser:

```
prompt$ su 
```

 Install rpm package. Mandrake kernels are packaged in rpm format.

```
prompt$ emerge rpm
```

 Mount your boot partition, if not allready mounted:

```
prompt$ mount /boot
```

It is usually unmounted under gentoo

 Install the kernel rpm file:

```
prompt$ rpm -ivh "kernel-file-name.rpm" --nodeps
```

I used two kernels:

 kernel-2.4.18.6mdk-1-1mdk.i586.rpm - I think it is from current (8.2?) release

kernel-2.4.19.5mdk-1-1mdk.i586.rpm - Its from a cooker release 

whatever this "cooker" thing means

both downloaded from ibiblio.org

 For some mandrake's reason all modules are gzipped??? so I had to

```
   

prompt$ gzip -dr /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk

prompt$ gzip -dr /lib/modules/2.4.19-5mdk

```

 Edit grub menu list file to insert new kernel entries

```

prompt$ vi /boot/grub/menu.lst

```

Mine is:

```

   default 1

   timeout 10

   splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

   title=gentoo

   root (hd0,0)

   kernel /boot/bzImage root=/dev/hda3

   title=mandrake kernel 2.4.18

   root (hd0,0)

   kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-6mdk root=/dev/hda3

   title=mandrake kernel 2.4.19

   root (hd0,0)

   kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.19-5mdk root=/dev/hda3

```

 I had problems with depmod with kernel-2.4.19.5mdk-1-1mdk.i586.rpm.

The depmod command was complainning that /lib/modules/2.4.19-5mdk/modules.description was not an ELF file - so I had to remove it.

Apparently this is just a list of all modules names with a brief description.

----------

## dcstimm

why not download the Mandrake kernel src rpm?

and compile the kernel the correct way?

alot safer....

----------

## wickidpisa

 *dcstimm wrote:*   

> why not download the Mandrake kernel src rpm?
> 
> and compile the kernel the correct way?
> 
> alot safer....

 

His problem was that he could not get a kernel to compile correctly, so that would not help this guy out.

This is howto not a good soultion to that problem, he should have gotten help compiling a kernel instead of figuring out a way to install a binary kernel.

----------

