Tips for Testing the 2.5 Kernel

Okay, now that you actually have been
convinced to try the 2.5 Linux kernel
(see previous article), how can
you test this kernel out. And, what should you do if you have any
problems?First off, before you configure the 2.5 kernel--say, while
you are downloading it--go read Dave Jones's excellent
"What
to Expect from 2.5" document. In that document, pay
specific attention to the sections covering the Input Layer, the
Framebuffer layer and module information. These sections of the
kernel configuration process are the most confusing for newcomers
to the 2.5 series. If you don't pay attention, it is very easy to
end up with a kernel that either displays nothing on the screen or
doesn't accept any input from the keyboard.After configuring the kernel with the specific hardware you
have on your system, build the kernel, install it and reboot. Don't
select all the drivers, here; a number of them do not compile
because no one seems to have hardware for them anymore. If you've
never done this build and install process before, I suggest you
read the
Linux
Kernel HOWTO, which details all of the necessary steps
involved. I also do not recommend that 2.5 be the first kernel you
ever build on your own. Try the 2.4 kernel first to rule out any
operator errors you might come across.If you do have hardware for a driver that does not build,
please report this. Most kernel developers do not have access to a
wide range of hardware, so they are apprehensive about fixing
drivers they cannot test. If you post your building problem to the
linux-kernel or kernel-janitor's mailing list, and if you have the
hardware for the driver and are willing to test patches, you should
be able to find a willing developer to provide you with updated
code.Now that your 2.5 kernel is up and running, what should you
do to test it? It's simple; do the normal tasks you always do on
your 2.4 or 2.2 kernels: run X, browse the Web, read e-mail, play
games, write documentation, write code and so forth. Every user
stresses the operating system in different ways; therefore, there
is no one, correct way to test.So, You Think You've Found a Problem?If you think you've found a problem, first off, search the
past week or so of the
linux-kernel
mailing list to see if others have had the same problem; a
fix already may have been posted. If you do not see anything
relevant, try searching the
2.5 kernel bug
database for your specific issue. If you still cannot find
anything relevant, please create a new bug in the database so the
kernel developers can realize there is a problem. From there, the
bug will be assigned to someone to look at, and more importantly,
it can be found by others having the same problem in the
future.I hope this short mini-article helps people start testing out
the 2.5 kernel. Without users testing, there is no way that the
kernel can become stable enough for everyone to use in the
future.Greg Kroah-Hartman is
currently the Linux USB and PCI Hot Plug kernel maintainer. He
works for IBM, doing various Linux kernel-related things.

email: greg@kroah-com