Firmware and Kernel Source Mismatch

studentbob · #1 21st January 2012, 06:56 PM

I am trying to build a new kernel, just for fun. But I must be an idiot because I cannot seem to figure out how to make the source files match my installed and running system.

I follow the instructions in http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Building_a_custom_kernel. uname -r tells me that my running kernel is 3.1.0-7.fc16, and the arch is x86_64. I downloaded all the source etc, and built everything for this target, including firmware.

I then try to install everything, and I get an error that says:

Kernel-firmware < 20110731 is obsoleted by (installed) linux-firmware-20110731-2.fc16.noarch

OK. I understand what it says. But how do I:

a) download source for 3.1.0-7.fc16 that includes the "-2" firmware?

Note: I am just doing this so that I can play with adding system calls (again for my own interest), and so that I can write a driver for an obsolete usb device that I have. I know from experience that I need matching headers and firmware and everything or my modules won't be loaded.

I am not sure what instructions I am missing.

Any help appreciated.

onebarman · #2 27th January 2012, 01:58 PM

I have the exact same problem after trying to use the same guide to build a patched 3.2.2 kernel from koji.

Did you have any luck with this issue since posting ?

EDIT: Supplying the "--nodeps" argument to rpm at install time seemed to do the trick. I managed to reboot into my new kernel.

vallimar · #3 27th January 2012, 02:50 PM

Ignore it.. you don't need to compile (or install) that kernel-firmware package.
The newer linux-firmware one is all you need right now.

studentbob · #4 27th January 2012, 06:27 PM

Sorry, I should have posted my results.

I just decided not to install the firmware, ie, I only installed the new kernel and header files with

su -c "rpm -ivh $HOME/rpmbuild/RPMS/<arch>/kernel-<version>.<arch>.rpm \
$HOME/rpmbuild/RPMS/<arch>/kernel-headers-<version>.<arch>.rpm \
$HOME/rpmbuild/RPMS/<arch>/kernel-devel-<version>.<arch>.rpm"

Everything seems to be OK (I can boot the kernel, create/install new system calls, and build driver modules and load them - which was my goal).

What I do not understand though is why there is a firmware version mismatch between the kernel source and the installed firmware (firmware must have come with either yum upgrade, or the initial iso that I installed from).

One would think that the current kernel rpm should have the most up to date firmware... or maybe there is a separate download or something. I don't get it - but since my stuff works now I don't really care either.