# [SOLVED]Problem compiling kernel (modules_install)

## ChildOfMana

Hi,

I'm new to Gentoo (but not to Linux) and have a fairly competent grasp of computers in general. I decided to take the plunge with Gentoo - just to see if I could, and to gain a better knowledge of how a Linux-based OS is constructed.

I'm using the minimal install CD, and following the instructions here. I've got as far as compiling the kernel and seem to have hit a problem. Using make menuconfig I didn't really make any changes to the kernel - I removed support for NTFS and checked that support for filesystems etc was built-in and not modularised and that's about it. I didn't add modular support for anything. Oh, and I chose to manually configure the kernel (as opposed to using genkernel).

I then ran 

```
make && make modules_install
```

 and the kernel started to compile. I went away to make a cup of tea and came back to this screen.

I'm a little lost now and not sure what (if anything) I've done wrong, or where to go from here.

I'm installing inside VirtualBox on an Ubuntu 8.10 host, and made a snapshot just before I ran the make command so can roll back if need be.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.Last edited by ChildOfMana on Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:05 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## ok

 *Quote:*   

> make: *** No rule to make target `modules_install]'.  Stop.

 

you have typed a ']' at the end, try w/o.

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## Letharion

I tried it out

```
April linux # make && make modules_install]

  CHK     include/linux/version.h

  CHK     include/linux/utsrelease.h

  SYMLINK include/asm -> include/asm-x86

  CALL    scripts/checksyscalls.sh

  CHK     include/linux/compile.h

dnsdomainname: Unknown host

Kernel: arch/x86/boot/bzImage is ready  (#6)

  Building modules, stage 2.

  MODPOST 32 modules

make: *** No rule to make target `modules_install]'.  Stop.

```

Sure looks like it  :Smile: 

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## ChildOfMana

 *ok wrote:*   

> you have typed a ']' at the end, try w/o.

 

Lol, I can't believe I didn't notice that!   :Embarassed: 

Thank you for pointing it out.

I'll give it another go then. Don't think I'll have time now to do it tonight but I'll try it tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

Incidentally (and this is just out of curiosity), can I just do make && make install as I haven't modularised anything in the kernel config, or do I still need to include the make modules_install bit?

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## ok

make && make install should be enough, if you run make modules_install you will see if you really have not made any module.

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## Letharion

 *ok wrote:*   

> make && make install should be enough, if you run make modules_install you will see if you really have not made any module.

 

Now I got curious. I've never done make install... What does it do? I don't even see install in the makefile...

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## 165177

 *Letharion wrote:*   

>  *ok wrote:*   make && make install should be enough, if you run make modules_install you will see if you really have not made any module. 
> 
> Now I got curious. I've never done make install... What does it do? I don't even see install in the makefile...

 

It copies the generated kernel image, the symbol map and the config file to "/boot" (using "install" from coreutils).  If you run "make install" in a gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r1 tree, you would get three new files in "/boot":  "System.map-2.6.28-gentoo-r1", "config-2.6.28-gentoo-r1" and "vmlinuz-2.6.28-gentoo-r1".

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## Letharion

 *lunar wrote:*   

>  *Letharion wrote:*    *ok wrote:*   make && make install should be enough, if you run make modules_install you will see if you really have not made any module. 
> 
> Now I got curious. I've never done make install... What does it do? I don't even see install in the makefile... 
> 
> It copies the generated kernel image, the symbol map and the config file to "/boot" (using "install" from coreutils).  If you run "make install" in a gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r1 tree, you would get three new files in "/boot":  "System.map-2.6.28-gentoo-r1", "config-2.6.28-gentoo-r1" and "vmlinuz-2.6.28-gentoo-r1".

 

Oh, conveniently lazy. Sweet

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## ChildOfMana

 *Letharion wrote:*   

> Oh, conveniently lazy. Sweet

 

Lol, that's why I was asking about it  :Wink: 

I'm going to try make && make modules_install now though to see what happens.

I'll let you know how I get on.

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## ChildOfMana

Kernel compiled correctly this time. Thanks for the help guys!

Got a kernel panic first time I tried to boot the machine but I think I know what the problem is so will boot from the Live CD tomorrow and try to fix it. No doubt will post another request for help if I can't.

Thanks again.

----------

