2.4 kernel on FC2 - how I did it

[Erik Sjölund]

I have seen some questions about installing a 2.4 kernel on
fedora core 2 ( fc2 ) when searching on google on that topic.
But I didn't find any detailed instructions about it.

Anyway, here's a sketch of how I did it. Warning!: I haven't verified
the correctness of these instructions.

It seems that you need to install gcc32 to build a 2.4 kernel.
That piece of advice I read here:
http://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-devel-list/2004-April/msg00702.html

wget
http://www.ftp.funet.fi/pub/mirrors/fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/1/SRPMS/gcc32-3.2.3-6.src.rpm

rpmbuild --rebuild gcc32-3.2.3-6.src.rpm
rpm -Uvh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/gcc32-3.2.3-6.i386.rpm
rpm -Uvh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/gcc32-debuginfo-3.2.3-6.i386.rpm

( You probably don't need the policy rpm package if you're skipping the
2.6 kernel. I removed it. But if I would do this installation procedure
once more, I would try to keep it. The reason I removed it was because
of a rpm dependency problem. I don't remember the details. It may be
needed for booting up in 2.6 kernel ( I haven't verified that ). So this
step might render your machine unbootable. Just do it if you can handle
a rescue cd. Tell me if you managed to skip this step. )
rpm -e policy

wget
http://www.ftp.funet.fi/pub/mirrors/fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/updates/1/i386/SRPMS/kernel-2.4.22-1.2188.nptl.src.rpm

Find out what architecture you're having right now:
rpm -q --qf "%{arch}\n" kernel

Use that for --target

rpmbuild --rebuild --target i686 kernel-2.4.22-1.2188.nptl.src.rpm

rpm -i --oldpackage
/usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i686/kernel-2.4.22-1.2188.nptl.i686.rpm

rpm -i --oldpackage
/usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/kernel-source-2.4.22-1.2188.nptl.i386.rpm

( I don't remember if I rebooted inte the 2.4 kernel at this point or
not )

You have to rebuild the kernel-module-alsa package. I'm not
sure about alsa-driver, alsa-lib, alsa-driver-debuginfo, alsa-utils. But
it won't hurt if you rebuild them too. 

wget
http://ftp.freshrpms.net/pub/freshrpms/fedora/linux/1/alsa-driver/alsa-driver-1.0.4-1.src.rpm
wget
http://ftp.freshrpms.net/pub/freshrpms/fedora/linux/1/alsa-lib/alsa-lib-1.0.4-1.1.fc1.fr.src.rpm

rpmbuild --rebuild --target i686 --define 'kernel 2.4.22-1.2188.nptl'
alsa-driver-1.0.4-1.src.rpm

rpm -Uvh
/usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i686/kernel-module-alsa-1.0.4-1_2.4.22_1.2188.nptl.i686.rpm
rpm -Uvh --replacefiles
/usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i686/alsa-driver-1.0.4-1.i686.rpm
rpm -Uvh
/usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i686/alsa-driver-debuginfo-1.0.4-1.i686.rpm

rpmbuild --rebuild alsa-lib-1.0.4-1.1.fc1.fr.src.rpm
rpm -Uvh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/alsa-lib-*

wget
http://ftp.freshrpms.net/pub/freshrpms/fedora/linux/1/alsa-utils/alsa-utils-1.0.4-1.1.fc1.fr.src.rpm
rpmbuild --rebuild alsa-utils-1.0.4-1.1.fc1.fr.src.rpm

rpm -Uvh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/alsa-utils-*


The /etc/modules.conf is named /etc/modprobe.conf for the 2.6 kernel.
If you're lucky just do
cp /etc/modprobe.conf /etc/modules.conf

You probably, though, have to edit that /etc/modules.conf to fit your
needs. Maybe it's a better way to find a /etc/modules.conf from an older
redhat installation to have as starting point for your editing instead
copying from /etc/modprobe.conf.

Boot up into the 2.4 kernel and if everything works nice,

edit /boot/grub/grub.conf
and change default=1
to default=0

I wrote these instructions rather quickly as a sketch. If I missed 
something please tell me.

cheers,
Erik Sjölund