[CentOS] Cold install kernel .config file

Fri Jan 28 23:02:05 UTC 2011
Todd Denniston <Todd.Denniston at tsb.cranrdte.navy.mil>

Tom G Murphy wrote, On 01/28/2011 04:19 PM:
> 
<SNIP>
> My goal is to be able to boot a "modified" kernel on the cold install
> step so we can download the firmware updates and eliminate the second boot.
> 
> I have tried using using the bzImage generated from the modified kernel
> build but that kernel fails to be able to load the kickstart file :-(
> 
But it does boot with out errors?
Can you install (just CentOS) using it but without using the kickstart file?

> I have done searches trying to find the .config file used to build the
> kernel booted during cold install but have had no luck.
> 
> I am guessing I have either have too much or too little included in the
> kernel.   I tried to make sure everything I thought was needed were not
> modules but included in the kernel.
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions?
> ---

Are you starting with the kernel SRPM from CentOS?

When I did something similar for a system needing to boot from USB on RHEL 4, I started with the
srpm for the kernel that matched the kernel that would be installed by the "cold install",  and used
the config files that came in it.
I had to mod the config file to force all the USB physical devices I new were going to be used in
the install process to be built in, IIRC I figured out that I did not want to mess with all the
modules and I did not want to mess with the contents of the initrd provided by RH (it broke bad
anytime I did), so I ONLY forced with the USB to not be a module and let the other modules be
provided by the contents of the original initrd.

secondary trick, change all the "%define build*"s in the spec file that you don't need to 0.
it speeds up the build a lot.

-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter