2y ago

I Compiled the Linux Kernel myself for the first time

It's not really a big deal, but I am currently writing this using a linux kernel I compiled from source, which certainly feels like an accomplishment. The Arch Wiki has made the process fairly easy to follow. I just took the stock Arch Linux configuration without changes for now.

The most important part of this is of course that I have the option to do that, to take the source code of this incredible project and build my own kernel binary.

53 comments

That we can make software unique to our needs is one of these best parts of software freedom. Good for you!

I often did this for years, using -march=corei7 and -mtune=skylake or whatever was the best option for my cpu, patching with brainfuck scheduler, etc.
Now I don't care really 😑
It's always cool to tinker with kernel and config, congrats 🎉
- As a student I wasted so much time mucking around with flags and settings in Gentoo. It definitely wasn't pointless since I learned so much, but I didn't need to sit there and watch it compile as much as I did.
  It was pleasing to watch though, just like defrag in Windows.
  
  just like defrag in Windows
  That felt more a horror for me.
- ahh what a shame. I have: https://kernel.melroy.org/.
  But I also didn't had the time to create new kernels. My PC is too slow at the moment. hahaha. Just wait.. maybe I will get the latest threadripper. Instead of the first -gen i7 from 2008.

Maybe it's not a big deal.. But I still remember the first time I compiled the Linux kernel. It feels good. Well done!!

Achievement unlocked… now try this… https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/
- 8MB for an entire thing running a web server.
  Mind: blown

This is the best part of free/libre/open-source software. Even if you would never want or need to compile software yourself, the fact that you have the option to do so, and the opportunity to learn how the software works, is what makes FLOSS superior to proprietary software IMO.
I just compiled Handbrake from source a few minutes ago, and I know how you feel. Best of luck in your future code-compiling endeavors.

How long did it take to compile?
- I didn't really keep track, but I would estimate around 10-15 minutes on a Ryzen 5800X.
  
  I compiled my first Linux kernel back in the mid 90s, mostly on 386 and Dec Alpha hardware, interesting enough both were not that much slower than what you mentioned, I think the alpha (a measly 21066) took about 40 minutes. If you had asked me back then, I’d probably have imagined a minute or two, 30 years later. Guess it says something about how much larger the Linux kernel has become.
  
  Last time I compiled a kernel it was on a bus-overclocked K6-3/500 (higher bus, lower multiplier).
- not OP but on my i7 7700K a fully-featured kernel takes about 2 hours or so to compile. if i minimize the kernel to only the modules i need i can get it down to 20-30 minutes (clean). incremental compiles barely hit 5-10 mins
  overall not a big deal, especially compared to something like firefox (or god forbid chromium). or gcc with pgo (which is technically cheating because it compiles itself 3 times if you enable pgo)

you win one on these
https://www.jeffgeerling.com/sites/default/files/images/800.jpg

It's not the compiling that kernel is hard - ironically, it's one of the easiest things in the whole ecosystem to compile, got great tooling. It's breaking down the mental barrier of something that you thought would be hard, but turns out to be completely within your grasp. Great work, keep it up, and never be afraid to keep pushing onwards.
- Yes, that was my experience as well. And of course there is the added tension that if you mess up somehow your system might become unbootable.
- I didn't dare try to recompile it myself until I saw someone do it in a Youtube video. Changing the config is literally an interactive menu with labelled options and buttons. And your distro almost certainly includes a copy of the settings it uses, so you can just change a few values and keep everything else the same.

Congratulations on being awesome. ^Keep ^that ^shit ^up.

Congrats! Keep this kind of mindset if you can, even later in life. It will continue to take you farther in life than you would imagine.
- Yep. The mindset will take you much further than the kernel itself.

Congrats!

Nice! I also compiled the kernel multiple times when I used Gentoo back in mid 00's. It may not be a big deal as such, but I feel kind of good being able to say I've done it.
Next challenge: write your own kernel.
- I installed gentoo from stage 1 or maybe 2 back in the day... it compiles to compiler to compile the rest of the build process and then compiles the kernel and base... quite fascinating but it took about 3 hours on the hardware I was using.

Nice! After the first time you get the hang of it but keep in mind, If you do make your own config you will have to recompile your kernel for any hardware that isn't automatically enabled in the config like graphics, touchpad, tablets, and other peripherals you will plug into your computer. Reading up on what hardware you have helps a lot but I still manage to forget something when I have to create my own config. Thankfully you can just transfer your config to the next kernel instead of creating it all over again.

Surely this is a feat of engineering on Arch. But in NixOS, this is just Monday. 😉

I feel like compiling your own kernel officially makes you not a normie. So... Welcome to the club!
- Hey, I did compile my kernel so I'm part of the club!
  But now that I think about it, the last time was 20 years ago and it's because it was the only way to get my sound card and network card working...

Nice job! Now you begin the journey of refining and perfecting your kernel config over time, to suit you. A new world awaits.

Now this is what gives a man the feeling of power.

Fun times. Always keep a fallback kernel installed. Even if you're not compiling your own.
I had to learn what chroot is when I borked my own kernel compile and there wasn't fallback.

Can I ask what are your pc specs , and how long did it take? + do you have a degree in computer science or prior knowledge of compiling code?
- It took roughly 10-15 minutes on a Ryzen 5800X with 32GB RAM. I have compiled other programs before, but none nearly as large and notable as the kernel. I am in fact very close to getting a computer science degree, but that is in no way required to be able to do this. If you are able to follow the wiki-page I linked, you can do it too.

A feat I have yet to achieve, and I have been using Linux since Yiggdrasil.

I used to do this with Gentoo, and it was always a blast! Glad that you’re having fun “rolling your own!”

The Arch Build System also makes it very easy to apply patches. This allows you for example to try fixes before they get merged.

- But there is a modul! Look into Hyprland wiki

That's certainly nothing to shake a stick, OP! Very well done. The last time I compiled a kernel was back in 1999 with Slackware. If I remember correctly it was a version previous to 7.
- I have vague memories around that time of doing it, I think it took 3 days to compile IIRC.
  Or maybe I'm thinking of early Gentoo installs...