Baslinux mailing list

[David Moberg <davidjmoberg AT gmail.com>]

On 12/15/05, sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org> wrote:
> See http://keesan.freeshell.org/bl for
> 2.2.16 kernel bzImage.vam which supports
> vesafb (vesa 2.0 cards)
> atyfb (ati mach64)
> matroxfb (as module only).    - download my matroxfb.o
>
> Instructions in /bl/blfiles.htm
>
> You can also use David's compiled xfbdev and fbset with this (at my site).
>
> Framebuffer will display text on the console using various resolutions and
> color depths specified on the loadlin or lilo line (for vesafb and atyfb)
> or on the insmod line (for matroxfb).
>
> This kernel also supports scsi boot (from hard drive or other scsi disk
> device, aic7xxx module for Adaptec PCI scsi controller), and sound
> (soundblaster and some others).
>
> David Moberg helped a lot with this and offered to compile the same thing
> for 2.4.31 with usb-storage and the rest of his 2.4.31 usb support.  In
> 2.4 atyfb will be a module, but vesafb has to be built into the kernel.
>
> David, will the usb devices all be modules?

Yes, unless you want a bigger kernel. It is already 710K+.

> This kernel might support booting from memory stick (scsi and usb
> required) - should usb-storage be compiled into the kernel to avoid the
> need for initrd?

You will need an initrd anyway, no point in making the kernel even
bigger.

> Take a look at config.vam (vesa-ati-matrox) and let him know if you want
> anything added.  This config is loosely modelled on BL2 but also has loop
> built in.  No network file systems or firewall, but they can be added on
> request.  It is over 500K and therefore bz not z.
>
> How much larger would the same kernel be in 2.4, without the USB?

About 200K. Since USB is completely modular, it adds a negligible
amount.

I have no idea what Linus and company have done to make the
latest Linux versions so big. 2.6 is gigantic, even with the linux-tiny
patches which strip out a lot of core functionality. IIRC from the
last time I tried 2.6, it was 350K for a minimal kernel that did
absolutely nothing. Adding IDE support alone pushed it above
500K.

Slackware 10.2 has a 'testing' 2.6 kernel. The bzImage is 3.1MB.
That is with heavy compression!! Obviously, the kernel alone will
take up all of the extended memory on anything older than a
Pentium.

The link in the following post might be helpful, if it was not dead. :(
http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9711.2/0110.html

I will look around for more information on making Linux smaller
for simplicity and for older hardware.

David