Guest section DW wrote:
> The linux 2.2.1 distribution README is missing the comments on the
> symbolic links in /usr/include
> i.e.
> cd /usr/include
> rm -rf asm linux scsi
> ln -s /usr/src/linux/include/asm-i386 asm
> ln -s /usr/src/linux/include/linux linux
> ln -s /usr/src/linux/include/scsi scsi
>
> Dangerous actions. You'll suddenly get lots of compilation errors.
How do you mean? It seems like it cuts more the other way: for instance,
I wouldn't be able to compile anything that uses <sys/socket.h>, if I
didn't have a <linux/socket.h>. I wouldn't be able to compile lilo
without <asm/boot.h>.
Of course, but you already had <linux/socket.h> and <asm/boot.h>.
If you get into the habit of replacing header files each time a
new kernel is released, and moreover you do some C program development,
you'll find that your programs, that compiled flawlessly yesterday,
do not compile anymore today, or, worse, if they still compile
they now have subtle run-time bugs.
If you need kernel features that were introduced yesterday evening,
you are on your own, but the usual case is that one has utilities
that after compilation should function under lots of different kernels.
Clearly, there is no reason to use yesterdays kernel header files.
If you are interested in a stable software development environment
you'll update headers only a few times a year.
Probably your RedHat / SuSE / Debian / whatever system came with known
good headers. Do not replace them without a good reason.
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