Chapter 3: Compiling the Kernel

Overview

In this chapter I'll describe how to compile a Linux kernel. For many system administrators not familiar with Linux, this may sound like a risky thing to do on a server that will be used in production, but once you have done it a few times you'll understand one of the reasons why Linux is so powerful: you have complete control over the operating system.

I could say a lot more about the benefits of having the source code of your operating system, but we'll save that for later. For now, we'll focus on what you need to be able to put your own Linux kernel into production.

To install a Linux kernel you need to do five things:

1. Get the source code.

2. Set the options you want.

3. Compile the code.

4. Install the object code.

5. Configure the boot loader.