Alternatively, you can obtain the latest kernel source from your favorite vendor. For example, for RedHat, you would obtain: kernel-source-2.4.x.rpm and install it with rpm, then skip the first two steps in the next section.
1. Download kernel from:
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/
(I assume you get linux-2.4.5.tar.gz and that
you put it into /usr/src)
2. Download Alan Cox patch from:
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/alan/2.4/
(I assume you get patch-2.4.5-ac12.gz and that you
put it into /usr/src)
3. su root
4. cd /usr/src
5. Ensure that the directory linux does not exist,
or if it is linked, remove the link or change the
name.
6. Unpack the kernel with:
tar xvfz linux-2.4.5.tar.gz
7. Unpack the patch with:
gunzip patch-2.4.5-ac12.gz
8. Move the kernel source into a different directory:
mv linux linux-2.4.5
or
mv linux linux-2.4.5-ac12
9. cd linux-2.4.5
10. Apply the patch with:
patch -p1 <../patch-2.4.5-ac12
There should be no errors.
11. make mrproper
12. Find a valid configuration file, and
make sure it has the following configuration
statements. If not, please add them:
CONFIG_USB=m
CONFIG_USB_LONG_TIMEOUT=y
CONFIG_USB_LARGE_CONFIG=y
CONFIG_USB_HID=m
CONFIG_USB_HIDDEV=m
Note, the CONFIG_USB_LARGE_CONFIG does not seem to be present
in some of the later kernels (e.g. 2.4.18)
Note, apparently in later kernels the CONFIG_USB_HIDDEV should
be set to CONFIG_USB_HIDDEV=y (at least our users report this,
I suspect it may depend on the setting you use for CONFIG_USB, in
any case, please note to get this stright).
13. make menuconfig or make xconfig (if you are running X)
load a valid configuration file
check the above values and ensure they are correct
save config
14. Check what you saved by editing .config
You can skip this if you have done kernel builds
before.
15. make dep
16. make clean
17. make bzImage
18. make modules
19. make modules_install
20. make install
21. If you boot from a SCSI, you will need to make a
new initrd image
22. Update /etc/lilo.conf to include the new kernel.
If you are using grub, edit the /boot/grub config
file and skip steps 24 and 25.
23. cd /etc (skip this if you are using grub)
24. lilo -v (skip this if you are using grub)
25. reboot
26. Ensure that uhci and hid are loaded by
doing cat /proc/modules
If not, load them by hand.
modprobe uhci
modprobe hid