getting new driver into kernel, boot.iso

[David Kewley]

Michael K. Johnson wrote on Friday 08 August 2003 08:01:
> It's important for drivers to be submitted for inclusion in the upstream
> kernel.  As I've written in other threads, it doesn't make sense to have
> Red Hat's kernel be comprised of parts we have to poll a large selection
> of sources for -- that way we'll always be behind on everything.  The
> whole point of having a mainstream kernel is that it is mainstream, that
> all updates happen in that context, that there's one point of integration
> that all process participants push to.

OK, thanks.  SysKonnect seems kinda slow in incorporating their driver into 
the upstream kernel, but I'll try to push them again.  Your reasoning makes 
eminent sense to me.

> I find it interesting that the name of the patch isn't actually a link;
> in my quick perusal it wasn't even clear that it's available...  I also
> find it interesting that it is listed as a >.5MB patch against 2.4.21;
> that's not small or easy to verify/review, even if you actually can get at
> the source, which it isn't clear from the page describing it:
> http://www.syskonnect.com/syskonnect/support/driver/htm/sk98lin_2.4.21.htm

If I recall correctly from building my boot.iso a month ago or so, I grabbed 
the config file changes etc. from the 2.4.21 patch you point to above.  But 
I grabbed the sk98lin source itself from the "InstallPakage" [sic] at

http://www.syskonnect.com/syskonnect/support/driver/htm/sk98lin_inst_p.htm

I didn't try to patch the sk98lin source with the 2.4.21 patch, because it 
was too unclean; I simply replaced it wholesale from the InstallPakage.

> Actually, you can make driver disks (Doug Ledford has a kit on his
> page at http://people.redhat.com/dledford/ ) and I think you can drop
> the updates on the iso somehow (installer folks would have details on
> that; not my area of expertise).

Thanks for the pointer!  I tried making a driver disk at one point, but 
failed.  With Doug's instructions, I'll try again.  That does indeed seem 
the easiest path at this point (along with pushing SysKonnect to get their 
driver into the upstream kernel).

And thanks for the rest of your clarifications about the process for 
patching the RH kernel -- that helps greatly.

I had one question at the end of your email that you didn't touch, regarding 
producing the initrd for the boot.iso.  That's less of an issue if the 
driver disk works, but I'd still like to hear any comments anyone can 
offer.

David