double-checking the make menuconfig instructions
Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 11:10 pmAlthough I believe that my previous attempt to patch the kernel completed successfully, it did later break some critical programs on my server, and I am, therefore, redoing it and intending to make use of the kernel initially on a cleanly installed system without these aforementioned programs. There is one point along the way that I want to double-check now that I have a chance. On this page:https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Grsecurity/Configuring_and_Installing_grsecurity, I see the following steps listed just like this (everything between the dotted lines I have included):
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Change to the root user and run the following commands in the directory you downloaded the files to. The first command decompresses the Linux source package, and the second one applies the patch to the kernel.
# tar -xf linux-3.2.21.tar
# cd linux-3.2.21
# patch -p1 < ../grsecurity-2.9.1-3.2.21-201206201812.patch
Configuring the Kernel[edit]
The kernel source package contains a generic configuration file that should work without any significant modifications. Your distribution may have its own process and tools for configuring and building the kernel, in which case you should consult their documentation. Nonetheless you should go through the options and make sure they match your hardware and current setup.
To configure the kernel using the default configuration as a base, change into the kernel source directory (e.g. ��/usr/src/linux-3.2.21��), and execute the below command.
$ make menuconfig
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My question is about this part of the last sentence: "To configure the kernel using the default configuration as a base, change into the kernel source directory..." . He shows in that same sentence an example of ".../usr/src/linux-3.2.21" for the kernel source directory, into which we are supposed to "cd" and execute the command shown at the end. However, since we "just" finished patching the downloaded kernel immediately prior to this point, as stated above it, is it not true that we are already in the folder of the source kernel and that we do not need to "cd" into the very same directory or into a different place? I just want to be perfectly clear about where I am supposed to be when I use the command "make menuconfig". For all I know that command could be executed in more than one place, while doing so might appear to be working correctly, it may not be his intention. So, is it not true that we should use "make menuconfig" in the very same folder where we had just issued the patch command? Thanks.
-------------------------------------
Change to the root user and run the following commands in the directory you downloaded the files to. The first command decompresses the Linux source package, and the second one applies the patch to the kernel.
# tar -xf linux-3.2.21.tar
# cd linux-3.2.21
# patch -p1 < ../grsecurity-2.9.1-3.2.21-201206201812.patch
Configuring the Kernel[edit]
The kernel source package contains a generic configuration file that should work without any significant modifications. Your distribution may have its own process and tools for configuring and building the kernel, in which case you should consult their documentation. Nonetheless you should go through the options and make sure they match your hardware and current setup.
To configure the kernel using the default configuration as a base, change into the kernel source directory (e.g. ��/usr/src/linux-3.2.21��), and execute the below command.
$ make menuconfig
------------------------------------
My question is about this part of the last sentence: "To configure the kernel using the default configuration as a base, change into the kernel source directory..." . He shows in that same sentence an example of ".../usr/src/linux-3.2.21" for the kernel source directory, into which we are supposed to "cd" and execute the command shown at the end. However, since we "just" finished patching the downloaded kernel immediately prior to this point, as stated above it, is it not true that we are already in the folder of the source kernel and that we do not need to "cd" into the very same directory or into a different place? I just want to be perfectly clear about where I am supposed to be when I use the command "make menuconfig". For all I know that command could be executed in more than one place, while doing so might appear to be working correctly, it may not be his intention. So, is it not true that we should use "make menuconfig" in the very same folder where we had just issued the patch command? Thanks.