On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 11:07 AM, Rudi Ahlers Rudi@softdux.com wrote:
Please search a little on the wiki page before asking questions. http://wiki.centos.org/
There is a little Search box...
http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/I_need_the_Kernel_Source?action=fullsearch&... -> http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/I_need_the_Kernel_Source?highlight=%28kernel%2...
Caveat: if you make your own kernel, you keep the pieces if you break your system. Don't expect support here.
heh, that's funny, but hard to believe that I won't get support for a modified / hacked / changed / "broken" kernel. It's like saying " You can buy the car, but if you change the tires we won't service it" - Dude, that's the mentality of M$ and the likes, NOT Open Source
Firstly, for VMware and probably Virtualbox (no experience there) there is no need to have the complete kernel sources, but that is explained more detailed below. The reasons that we don't support custom kernels is explained here http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/Custom_Kernel.
And your comparison to cars is not completely correct. It is not buying a car and changing the tires. Replacing a kernel is like replacing the engine of a car. And I don't see the company that made that car still service it if it does not contain their engine.
Also, this has nothing to do with a M$ mentality. With M$ you even can't replace the kernel with your own. With Linux you can and we even document it on the wiki for you. You have full access to the source and can to with it whatever you like. What we can't do is support changed systems like that because it then contains component we did not made and have no control over. Nothing more, nothing less.
Besides, VMWare & Virtualbox needs it to install properly on the system, what do you tell them? We won't support you, so your programs won't work on our system?
With VMware (Server anyway) you just install kernel-devel and the vmware-config.pl script finds everything it needs to compile it's custom modules. Very simple, no fuss. If that process works for VMware then VirtualBox should be able to do the same thing. If they don't then talk to them and get them to update their tools.
This method (installing kernel-devel which contains enough to compile external modules) is the standard way of dealing with this, it is also recommended by the kernel developers. If software does not support this method then they need a update to support this method. This is not about being difficult, just about doing things in a standard and consistant matter.
So, to sum up. We don't mind you playing with the kernel, just realize what you are doing then. But we do like that people are polite and respect each other.
Regards, Tim