Custom Debian kernel

Download and install kernel-source-2_2_1_2_2_1-1.deb and other needed files with dselect. Note - this assumes you are upgrading from a 2.0.38 kernel.

# cd /usr/src
# tar xvzf kernel-source-2.2.1.tar.gz -C /usr/src
# mv /usr/src/linux /usr/src/2.0.38
# mv /usr/src/kernel-source-2.2.1/ /usr/src/linux/
# cd linux
# make menuconfig

The following details the selected kernel switches (M = as module, * = in kernel). Code maturity level options. Exclude Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers.

Processor type and features
586/k5/5x86/6x86
* Symmetric multiprocessing support

Loadable module support
* Enable loadable module support
* Kernel module loader

General Setup
* Networking support
* PCI support
* PCI quirks
* Backward compatible /proc/pci
* System V IPC
* Sysctl support
M Kernel support a.out libraries
* Kernel support for ELF binaries
* Kernel support for MISC binaries
M Parallel port support

Plug and Play Support None

Block Devices
* Normal PC floppy disk support
* Enhanced IDE/MFM/RLL disk/cdrom/tape/floppy support
* Include IDE/ATA-2 DISK support
* Include IDE/ATAPI CDROM support
* Generic PCI IDE chipset support
* Generic PCI bus-master DMA supprt
* Use DMA by defualt when available

Networking options
* Packet socket
* Socket Filtering
* Kernel/user netlink socket
* Netlink device emulation
* Network firewall
* Unix domain sockets
* TCP/IP networking
* IP: firewalling
* IP: always defragment
* IP: transparent proxy support
* IP: Masquerading
* IP: ICMP Masquerading
* IP: TCP syncookie support
* IP: Drop source routed frames
* IP: Allow large windows

SCSI Support None

Network device support
* Network device support
M Dummy net driver support
* Ethernet (10 or 100Mbit)
* Other ISA cards
* NE2000/NE1000 support
M PPP (point to point) support

Amateur radio support None
ISDN subsystem None
CD-ROM drivers None

Character devices
* Virtual terminal
* Support for console on virtual terminal
* Standard/generic (dumb) serial support
* Unix98 PTY support
(256) maximum number of Unix98 PTY's
M Parallel printer support

Filesystems
* Kernel automounter support
M DOS FAT fs support
M MSDOS fs support
M VFAT (windows95) fs support
* ISO 9660 CDROM filesystem support
* /proc filesystem support
* /dev/pts filesystem for Unix98 PTYs
* Second extended fs support

Network File Systems
* NFS Filesystem support
M SMB filesystem support
M SMB Win95 bug work-around

Partition Types None

Native Language Support
M Codepage 850 (Europe)

Console drivers
* VGA Text console
* Video mode selection support

Sound None

Kernel Hacking None

Exit, Yes to 'Save Changes'

Put a floppy disk in A:, then type:

# make dep && make clean && make modules && make modules_install && make bzdisk

The compilation takes around 40 minutes on my PC (P100). After compilation, a bzImage is placed in /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot and a copy put onto a floppy disk. The file /vmlinuz is the kernel that will be booted when the PC is started with no floppy boot disk in. So, once the version on the floppy disk is working correctly, save a copy of the old kernel:

# cp /vmlinuz /vmlinuz.2.0.38

Then copy the new one over it:

# cp /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /vmlinuz

Then run the linux loader program:

# lilo

Now reboot!