Off-Topic > Off-Topic - Tiny Core Lounge
Libreboot & TCL
GNUser:
If you wish to run linux-libre instead of the default kernel (but want the convenience of using the kernel modules that are provided with your version of TCL), here are the steps:
-> go here http://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre/releases and download the linux-libre source code tarball (.tar.bz2) that corresponds to desired kernel version (for TCL11 you want version 5.4.3)
-> extract the tarball (e.g., now $HOME/Downloads/linux-5.4.3 exists)
-> change EXTRAVERSION at top of $HOME/Downloads/linux-5.4.3/Makefile from -gnu to nothing, so that it looks like this: EXTRAVERSION=
-> go to http://tinycorelinux.net/11.x/x86/release/src/kernel/ and download the TCL-specific patches and config file to ~/Downloads
-> copy the downloaded TCL config file to ~/Downloads/linux-5.4.3/.config
-> do these steps in a terminal:
--- Code: ---$ tce-load -i compiletc perl5 bash ncursesw-dev bc glibc_apps elfutils-dev
$ cd ~/Downloads/linux-5.4.3
$ patch -p1 < ../advdef.patch # repeat for each TCL-specific patch
$ make oldconfig
$ make menuconfig # edit the configuration via the menu (if desired)
$ make bzImage
--- End code ---
-> once compilation is done (it takes ~15 minutes on my ancient X200 laptop) you'll have bzImage/vmlinuz
-> in your boot partition, rename vmlinuz to vmlinuz-stock
-> rename the vmlinuz you just created to vmlinuz-libre and copy it to your boot partition
-> in your boot partition: $ ln -s vmlinuz-libre vmlinuz
-> reboot
Now you're running linux-libre, which has no blobs and will not load proprietary modules :)
P.S. If all your hardware is libre-friendly, it shouldn't make much difference whether you run stock kernel or linux-libre. This is mostly for convenience since if I'm running linux-libre and piece of hardware is working, I immediately know that the hardware is using libre firmware--no need for me to look into it.
Rich:
Hi GNUser
--- Quote from: GNUser on March 04, 2020, 11:18:24 PM ---If you wish to run linux-libre instead of the default kernel (but want the convenience of using the kernel modules that are provided with your version of TCL),
----- SNIP -----
$ make menuconfig # edit the configuration via the menu (if desired)
----- SNIP -----
--- End quote ---
Some configuration changes can affect the usability of certain modules requiring them to be rebuilt. I found this out when I selected:
--- Code: ---CONFIG_X86_INTEL_LPSS=y
--- End code ---
This forced the module iosf_mbi to be built into the kernel resulting in modprobe errors. A more detailed explanation is here:
http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,23272.msg147325.html#msg147325
Another thing to be aware of is the menu config utility does not have undo capability. Using the above as an example:
1. iosf_mbi is built as a module.
2. You select CONFIG_X86_INTEL_LPSS=y
3. The menu config utility changes CONFIG_IOSF_MBI=m to CONFIG_IOSF_MBI=y forcing it to be built into the kernel.
4. You change CONFIG_X86_INTEL_LPSS=y back to CONFIG_X86_INTEL_LPSS is not set.
5. The menu config utility does not change CONFIG_IOSF_MBI=y back to CONFIG_IOSF_MBI=m. You have to find that setting and fix it.
You can select Help for an option prior to selecting it to see what it effects. It's listed on the line labeled Selects:.
[EDIT]: Struck out my inaccuracies. Rich
GNUser:
Rich,
I did not make any custom changes to the configuration, so that step was untested. Thank you for pointing out the pitfalls.
I've been running linux-libre compiled with the default TCL configuration (I made no changes via the menu) and have found it to be a drop-in replacement for the default kernel. No remastering of corepure64.gz was needed, and I can use all the module-containing extensions (e.g., ipv6-netfilter-5.4.3-tinycore64.tcz) without any issues.
GNUser:
One last detail, for completion's sake:
I've noticed that the number of benign/cosmetic Libreboot-related boot-time warnings increased a bit between linux version 4.19.10 (used in tc-10.x) and 5.4.3 (used in tc-11.x). This affects stock linux and linux-libre equally and is due to upstream changes in the kernel (i.e., it has nothing to do with TCL specifically).
To keep the kernel completely quiet during boot, just add the loglevel=0 kernel boot parameter (this is even stronger than quiet, which if I'm not mistaken is equivalent to loglevel=4). Now the kernel can only display emergency-level errors so it won't show anything unless your computer is having a meltdown. Now all I see during boot are the beautiful colorful messages from TCL :)
Rich:
--- Quote from: GNUser on March 05, 2020, 06:50:04 AM ---I did not make any custom changes to the configuration, so that step was untested. Thank you for pointing out the pitfalls. ...
--- End quote ---
I do have to make 1 correction:
--- Quote from: Rich on March 05, 2020, 01:44:45 AM --- ... Another thing to be aware of is the menu config utility does not have undo capability. ...
--- End quote ---
This was behavior I thought I remembered from many years ago. Maybe I was mistaken. I just tried the example I posted and
IOSF_MBI reverted back to m when I deselected X86_INTEL_LPSS. The undo worked even if I did a save between selecting
and deselecting X86_INTEL_LPSS.
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