I have been trying for hours to recompile Linux kernel of https://github.com/torvalds/linux from my MacBook Pro and at the end, still stuck. Hard to find a tutorial to understand how to recompile it, headers missing, bla bla bla.
- http://www.howardism.org/Technical/Linux/Rebuilding_Kernel.html
- https://medium.com/@ssreehari/implementing-a-system-call-in-linux-kernel-4-7-1-6f98250a8c38
- https://tssurya.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/adding-a-hello-world-system-call-to-linux-kernel-3-16-0/ (but useless since I have the v4.17)
PS: I tried first adding a syscall website because that's what I'm trying to do at first.
At the begining, I got a .config not found.
*** Configuration file ".config" not found!
***
*** Please run some configurator (e.g. "make oldconfig" or
*** "make menuconfig" or "make xconfig").
***
make[3]: *** [silentoldconfig] Error 1
make[2]: *** [silentoldconfig] Error 2
make[1]: *** No rule to make target `include/config/auto.conf', needed by`include/config/kernel.release'. Stop.
Unlike in some web-links, the conf used doesn't exist or something else is wrong, so I'm creating a new .config from "make menuconfig" (as some answers on the web).
Then, I try to compile again. There is some command I tried:
- make
emixam23@Maximes-MBP:~/Workspace/linux-kernel$ make
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_CFLAGS'
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_LDFLAGS'
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_LIBS'
/bin/sh: scripts/basic/modules.order: Permission denied
make[1]: *** [scripts/basic/modules.order] Error 1
make: *** [scripts_basic] Error 2
- sudo make
emixam23@Maximes-MBP:~/Workspace/linux-kernel$ sudo make
Password:
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_CFLAGS'
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_LDFLAGS'
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_LIBS'
HOSTCC arch/x86/tools/relocs_32.o
In file included from arch/x86/tools/relocs_32.c:2:
arch/x86/tools/relocs.h:13:10: fatal error: 'elf.h' file not found
#include <elf.h>
^~~~~~~
1 error generated.
make[1]: *** [arch/x86/tools/relocs_32.o] Error 1
make: *** [archscripts] Error 2
After that, I begin to search if the mistake was coming from my make command and I found this:
- sudo make -j 4 && sudo make modules_install -j 4 && sudo make install -j 4
emixam23@Maximes-MBP:~/Workspace/linux-kernel$ sudo make -j 4 && sudo make modules_install -j 4 && sudo make install -j 4
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_CFLAGS'
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_LDFLAGS'
getconf: no such configuration parameter `LFS_LIBS'
CHK include/config/kernel.release
CHK include/generated/uapi/linux/version.h
CHK include/generated/utsrelease.h
HOSTCC arch/x86/tools/relocs_32.o
HOSTCC arch/x86/tools/relocs_64.o
HOSTCC arch/x86/tools/relocs_common.o
In file included from arch/x86/tools/relocs_common.c:2:
arch/x86/tools/relocs.h:13:10: fatal error: 'elf.h' file not found
#include <elf.h>
^~~~~~~
In file included from arch/x86/tools/relocs_32.c:2:
arch/x86/tools/relocs.h:13:10: fatal error: 'elf.h' file not found
#include <elf.h>
^~~~~~~
In file included from arch/x86/tools/relocs_64.c:2:
arch/x86/tools/relocs.h:13:10: fatal error: 'elf.h' file not found
#include <elf.h>
^~~~~~~
1 error generated.
make[1]: *** [arch/x86/tools/relocs_common.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
1 error generated.
1 error generated.
make[1]: *** [arch/x86/tools/relocs_32.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [arch/x86/tools/relocs_64.o] Error 1
make: *** [archscripts] Error 2
make: INTERNAL: Exiting with 5 jobserver tokens available; should be 4!
So, based on the errors I got, I searched about <elf.h> and it seems to be something about Android. To me, it doesn't have any links, I mean, I feel like this.
The thing is, I just downloaded a Linux kernel (Torvalds), I added my syscall, now I'm trying to recompile it and use it with vagrant. That's it. Why does it seem so complicated? I will be honest, I feel completely lost... Do you have any idea if I'm right but I just missunderstood something, or I'm totally out of the good way?
I am working from a MacBook Pro:
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
- macOS High Sierra
- Version 10.13.1
Thanks for any hints/help
Max
PS: Edit 1: Add of my edits: https://github.com/Emixam23/linux-kernel/commit/d7d7b66cc6513e7b69fd2122b880c259628c438a
Vagrant
I found a workaround which is vagrant :) With vragrant you can recompile the kernel from a Mac OS. You just have to vagrant init then you connect yourself to the vagrant VM vagrant ssh. Once your inside the vagrant VM, run cd / and you will arrive to the root of your machin, which is also where you created the VM, so you can do whatever you want from Mac OS and compile from the terminal make -j 4 :)
