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Linux kernel: Difference between revisions

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Remove stub troubleshooting section
 
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nix-repl> :l <nixpkgs>
nix-repl> pkgs = import <nixpkgs> {}
Added 12607 variables.
Added 12607 variables.


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<syntaxhighlight lang=nix>
{
{
      boot.kernelPatches = [ {
  boot.kernelPatches = [ {
        name = "crashdump-config";
    name = "crashdump-config";
        patch = null;
    patch = null;
        extraConfig = ''
    structuredExtraConfig = with lib.kernel; {
                CRASH_DUMP y
      CRASH_DUMP = yes;
                DEBUG_INFO y
      DEBUG_INFO = yes;
                PROC_VMCORE y
      PROC_VMCORE = yes;
                LOCKUP_DETECTOR y
      LOCKUP_DETECTOR = yes;
                HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR y
      HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR = yes;
              '';
    };
        } ];
  } ];
}
}
</syntaxhighlight>
</syntaxhighlight>


Another way is to create a overlay to configure either {{ic|extraConfig}} or {{ic|structuredExtraConfig}}. This allows for more flexibility, since you can basically override any available kernel option<ref>[https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/e6db435973160591fe7348876a5567c729495175/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix#L11-L56<tt>pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix#L11-L56</tt>]</ref>. Using {{ic|structuredExtraConfig}} is recommended as it checks if the configured option are correct. You may also want to set {{ic|ignoreConfigErrors}} to avoid {{ic|error: unused option}} during builds.
Another way is to create an overlay to configure {{ic|structuredExtraConfig}}. This allows for more flexibility, since you can basically override any available kernel option<ref>[https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/e6db435973160591fe7348876a5567c729495175/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix#L11-L56<tt>pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix#L11-L56</tt>]</ref>.


{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>
{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>
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             SCHED_MUQSS = yes;
             SCHED_MUQSS = yes;
           };
           };
           ignoreConfigErrors = true;
           ignoreConfigErrors = true; # not necessarily a good idea
         });
         });
       })
       })
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}
}
</nowiki>}}
</nowiki>}}
If the kernel config fails to build with messages like <code>error: unused option: DRM_I915_GVT</code>, try setting e.g. <code>DRM_I915_GVT = lib.kernel.unset</code>. Setting {{ic|ignoreConfigErrors}} will also silence these errors, at the cost of ignoring potential problems. ([https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/3ab9a9d12ba76f6a544c207e1364da5b3087b77c/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generate-config.pl generate-config.pl] is responsible for these; they are often produced when [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/3ab9a9d12ba76f6a544c207e1364da5b3087b77c/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/common-config.nix the default config] doesn't use <code>lib.kernel.option</code> for an option that is implicitly disabled by whatever change you made.)


=== Pinning a kernel version ===
=== Pinning a kernel version ===
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}
}
</nowiki>}}
</nowiki>}}
Note that pinning the kernel version will likely require manual recompilation, which may be slow on older hardware. See [https://discourse.nixos.org/t/pin-kernel-version/50630/3 this thread] for a related discussion.


=== Debugging a failed configuration  ===
=== Debugging a failed configuration  ===
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== make menuconfig ==
== make menuconfig ==
It is (currently) not possible to run <code>make menuconfig</code> in the checked out linux kernel sources. This is because <code>ncurses</code> is not part of your working environment when you start it with <code>nix-shell '<nixpkgs>' -A linuxPackages.kernel</code>.
It is not possible to run <code>make menuconfig</code> in the standard kernel shell. This is because <code>ncurses</code> is not part of your working environment when you start it with <code>nix-shell '<nixpkgs>' -A linuxPackages.kernel</code>.


This nix-shell hack adds ncurses as a build dependency to the kernel:
Use <code>linuxPackages.kernel.configEnv</code> instead, which adds ncurses as a build dependency to the kernel:
<syntaxHighlight lang=console>
<syntaxHighlight lang=console>
$ nix-shell -E 'with import <nixpkgs> {}; linux.overrideAttrs (o: {nativeBuildInputs=o.nativeBuildInputs ++ [ pkg-config ncurses ];})'
$ nix-shell '<nixpkgs>' -A linuxPackages.kernel.configEnv
[nix-shell] $ unpackPhase && cd linux-*
[nix-shell] $ unpackPhase && cd linux-*
[nix-shell] $ patchPhase
[nix-shell] $ patchPhase
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Please provide a comparison with other distributions' kernel:
Please provide a comparison with other distributions' kernel:
- arch: https://github.com/archlinux/svntogit-packages/blob/packages/linux/trunk/config
 
- debian: https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/blob/master/debian/config/config and the ARCH specific ones
* Arch: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/packaging/packages/linux/-/blob/main/config
* Debian: https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/blob/master/debian/config/config and the ARCH specific ones


== Booting a kernel from a custom source ==
== Booting a kernel from a custom source ==
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           kernelPatches = [];
           kernelPatches = [];


           extraConfig = ''
           structuredExtraConfig = with lib.kernel; {
             INTEL_SGX y
             INTEL_SGX = yes;
           '';
           };


           extraMeta.branch = "5.4";
           extraMeta.branch = "5.4";
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There are a couple of steps that you will most likely need to do a couple of things. Here is an annotated example:
There are a couple of steps that you will most likely need to do a couple of things. Here is an annotated example:
<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
{ stdenv, lib, fetchFromGitHub, kernel, kmod }:
{ stdenv, lib, fetchFromGitHub, kernel, kernelModuleMakeFlags, kmod }:


stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
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   nativeBuildInputs = kernel.moduleBuildDependencies;                      # 2
   nativeBuildInputs = kernel.moduleBuildDependencies;                      # 2


   makeFlags = [
   makeFlags = kernelModuleMakeFlags ++ [
     "KERNELRELEASE=${kernel.modDirVersion}"                                # 3
     "KERNELRELEASE=${kernel.modDirVersion}"                                # 3
     "KERNEL_DIR=${kernel.dev}/lib/modules/${kernel.modDirVersion}/build"    # 4
     "KERNEL_DIR=${kernel.dev}/lib/modules/${kernel.modDirVersion}/build"    # 4
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=== Developing out-of-tree kernel modules ===
=== Developing out-of-tree kernel modules ===
See also:  {{manual:nixos|sec=#sec-linux-config-developing-modules|chapter=12.2. Developing kernel modules}}
See also:  {{Nixpkgs Manual|name=Nixpkgs Manual, Developing kernel modules|anchor=#sec-linux-kernel-developing-modules}}


If you work on an out-of-tree kernel module the workflow could look as follow:
If you work on an out-of-tree kernel module the workflow could look as follow:
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=== Overriding kernel packages ===
=== Overriding kernel packages ===


In order to override <code>linuxPackages</code>, use the <code>extend</code> attribute. Example:
In order to override <code>linuxPackages</code>, an alias of <code>linuxKernel.packages</code>, use the <code>extend</code> attribute. Example:


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     })
     })
   ];
   ];
</syntaxHighlight>
You can also use <code>kernelPackagesExtensions</code> in a similar fashion to override <code>linuxKernel.packages</code>:
<syntaxHighlight lang=nix>
nixpkgs.overlays = [ 
  (_: prev: {
    kernelPackagesExtensions = prev.kernelPackagesExtensions ++ [
      (_: linuxPrev: {
        digimend = linuxPrev.digimend.overrideAttrs (prevAttrs: {
          postPatch = prevAttrs.postPatch or "" + ''
            substituteInPlace "hid-uclogic-core.c" \
              --replace-fail "del_timer_sync" "timer_shutdown_sync"
          '';
        });
      })
    ];
  })
];
</syntaxHighlight>
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== Troubleshooting ==
== Sysfs ==
=== Build fails ===
 
==== Too high ram usage ====
Example of configuring kernel sysfs:
turn off <code>DEBUG_INFO_BTF</code>
<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
{
  boot.kernel.sysfs = {
    kernel.mm.transparent_hugepage = {
      enabled = "always";
      defrag = "defer";
      shmem_enabled = "within_size";
    };
  };
}
</syntaxhighlight>


== See also ==
== See also ==
Retrieved from "https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Linux_kernel"