🚀 go-pugleaf

"PM" == Paul Mouritsen <mourip@cpcug.org> writes:

PM> After installing Linux a month ago I finally decided to brave the process of 
PM> rebuilding my kernel to get it "just right." My current, original 
PM> (Slackware-IDECD2) kernel reads about 430k when viewed as a file in my shell. 
PM> When it loads I get a line "big kernel, just under 1MB" or something like 
PM> that. I figured that I would recompile it removing unnecessary SCSI support 
PM> but adding sound support. All went well but I ended up with a kernel that 
PM> weighed in at 720K!!! LILO would not load it saying that it was too big. Any 
PM> hints for a kernel weight reduction program. Dietary restrictions combined 
PM> with exercise? How do you get lean and mean but with all the support you need? 
PM> What components are notorious memory hogs?

It sounds like you fed the "/usr/src/linux/vmlinux" file to 'lilo'.
You'll want to feed it "/usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/zImage"; that's
the compressed kernel image that you boot from.  If you don't have one,
do a 'make zImage' and you should wind up with one.

(Note that you can also do a 'make zlilo' and it will install this new
kernel in "/" and run 'lilo' for you to make it the boot
kernel--assuming a "normal" configuration.)

My kernel (1.3.6) has a ton of stuff in it, and weighs in (compressed)
at ~300K.  I use 'kerneld' and loadable modules to keep the main kernel
small though...

--Up.

-- 
Jeff Uphoff - systems/network admin.  |  juphoff@nrao.edu
National Radio Astronomy Observatory  |  jeff.uphoff@linux.org
Charlottesville, VA, USA              |  http://linux.nrao.edu/~juphoff/