Once thought of as the exclusive domain of Linux gurus, the act of compiling your own Linux kernel remains a kind of rite of passage into Linuxdom. I remember the thrill of my first kernel compilation, back in the days of Linux 0.99.14. Things have changed since then, and though compiling the kernel is still not a simple task, it is becoming easier. And if you really want to get the most out of Linux, it’s worth the effort.
Compiling your own kernel is an especially good idea if you’re running an old 486 or 386 machine with a small amount of RAM. These old computers really suffer when running a noncustomized kernel. Kernel recompilation is also essential if you run an SMP (Symmetric Multiprocessor) computer, since SMP support must be enabled at compile time. This article will cover Intel x86 kernel recompilation under Linux 2.2. Version 2.2 is what you’ll want to use in the foreseeable future on any recent personal computer.
First some caveats. Building a customized kernel can lead to trouble. Make a mistake during configuration and you may find yourself unable to boot. Also, you may find that a hard disk running a customized kernel might not boot if you connect it to a different host computer. This may happen because your new machine has different hardware peripherals, or it may be that the kernel as you’ve compiled it simply doesn’t work with the new CPU.
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