[2.6] building extra modules, with r/o source

From: Eduard Bloch
Date: Fri Dec 26 2003 - 20:13:30 EST


#include <hallo.h>

I have a general question to the new kernel build system which is
claimed to be very generic: how does someone build external modules
having the MINIMAL SET of the kernel headers and other configuration
files? With Kernel 2.4, it was mostly feasible:

- compiler calls were identical and portable
- MODVERSIONS setting and modified compiler command could be configured
using the .config file and few kernel headers
- compiler name could be extracted from the configured headers
- kernel headers only were enough to build the most modules out there

With 2.6, I see two major flaws:

- module writers are encouraged to use the kernel build system to
compile modules. Problem: apparently the whole build system must be
shipped together with the headers. Solution: unknown. I would like to
see something like the gtk-config script generated during the
complete kernel build which would provide all needed information
including compiler command. External modules could get the complete
command line by running
sh /usr/src/kernel-foo-headers/kmod-build --compile foo.c

- the build system also tries to write in the kernel source directory.
This is simply not acceptable if /usr is mounted read-only or if you
try to build external modules as user. The only good solution I see
is using some temporary directory to write run-time files. I tried
setting different variables in Makefile but that did not help, and
the build scripts are not documented consistent enough to be easy to
understand.

MfG,
Eduard.
--
Wußten Sie schon...
... daß "finish" gar nicht finnisch ist, sondern englisch?

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