Handbook:PPC/Installation/Kernel
Installing firmware and/or microcode
Firmware
Suggested: Linux Firmware
On many systems, non-FOSS firmware is required for certain hardware to function. The sys-kernel/linux-firmware package contains firmware for many, but not all, devices.
Most wireless cards and GPUs require firmware to function.
root #emerge --ask sys-kernel/linux-firmwareInstalling certain firmware packages often requires accepting the associated firmware licenses. If necessary, visit the license handling section of the Handbook for help on accepting licenses.
Firmware Loading
Firmware files are typically loaded when the associated kernel module is loaded. This means the firmware must be built into the kernel using CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE if the kernel module is set to Y instead of M. In most cases, building-in a module which required firmware can complicate or break loading.
sys-kernel/installkernel
Installkernel may be used to automate the kernel installation, initramfs generation, unified kernel image generation and bootloader configuration, among other things. sys-kernel/installkernel implements two paths of achieving this: the traditional installkernel originating from Debian and systemd's kernel-install. Which one to choose depends, among other things, on the system's bootloader. By default, systemd's kernel-install is used on systemd profiles, while the traditional installkernel is the default for other profiles.
Bootloader
Now is the time to think about which bootloader the user wants for the system.
Only one selection is required in the following subsection, if unsure of which to use then go with the first listed for now. It's always possible to switch at a later date if required.
GRUB
Users of GRUB can use either systemd's kernel-install or the traditional Debian installkernel. The systemd USE flag switches between these implementations. To automatically run grub-mkconfig when installing the kernel, enable the grub USE flag.
GRUB requires kernels to be installed to /boot.
/etc/portage/package.use/installkernelsys-kernel/installkernel grub
root #emerge --ask sys-kernel/installkernel
systemd-boot requires kernels to be installed to /efi.
When app-emulation/virt-firmware is used to configure the UEFI ensure that the kernel-bootcfg-boot-successful service is enabled before attempting to install the kernel. This implementation of EFIstub booting is the default for systemd systems.
root #systemctl enable kernel-bootcfg-boot-successful.serviceEFIstub requires kernels to be installed to /efi.
Traditional layout, other bootloaders (e.g. (e)lilo, syslinux, etc.)
The traditional /boot layout (for e.g. (e)LILO, syslinux, etc.) is used by default if the grub, systemd-boot, efistub and uki USE flags are not enabled. No further action is required.
Initramfs
An initial ram-based file system, or initramfs, may be required for a system to boot. A wide of variety of cases may necessitate one, but common cases include:
- Kernels where storage/filesystem drivers are modules.
- Layouts with /usr/ or /var/ on separate partitions.
- Encrypted root filesystems.
Distribution kernels are designed to be used with an initramfs, as many storage and filesystem drivers are built as modules.
In addition to mounting the root filesystem, an initramfs may also perform other tasks such as:
- Running file system consistency check fsck, a tool to check and repair consistency of a file system in such events of uncleanly shutdown a system.
- Providing a recovery environment in the event of late-boot failures.
Installkernel can automatically generate an initramfs when installing the kernel if the dracut or ugrd USE flag is enabled:
/etc/portage/package.use/installkernelsys-kernel/installkernel dracut
Chroot detection
Bootloaders such as systemd-boot and EFI stub use the kernel arguments of the running system as set in /proc/cmdline by default. Because of the wide range of ways Gentoo can be installed users will randomly get tripped up by this.
To help solve any issues this may cause, sys-kernel/installkernel will check if it is running in a chroot and fail if the kernel command line is not explicitly configured. Otherwise the bootloader would use the install media's boot arguments which would lead to boot failure.
One way to satisfy sys-kernel/installkernel is by using Dracut's config file to set the root partition UUID as shown below, or alternatively for more information on what this check helps with and different ways to configure it, see Installkernel#Install_chroot_check.
root #mkdir /etc/dracut.conf.droot #blkid/dev/sda3: UUID="2122cd72-94d7-4dcc-821e-3705926deecc"
In the above example, the root partition is /dev/sda3 and the UUID is 2122cd72-94d7-4dcc-821e-3705926deecc. The dracut config file would then look like:
/etc/dracut.conf.d/00-installkernel.confkernel_cmdline=" root=UUID=2122cd72-94d7-4dcc-821e-3705926deecc " # Note leading and trailing spaces
root #emerge --ask sys-kernel/installkernel
Kernel selection
It can be a wise move to use the dist-kernel on the first boot as it provides a very simple method to rule out system issues and kernel config issues. Always having a known working kernel to fallback on can speed up debugging and alleviate anxiety when updating that your system will no longer boot.
A common misconception is that a manually compiled kernel will use a lot less RAM than a pre configured distribution kernel. Due to the modular nature of the Linux kernel, only what is needed by the system is loaded and in most cases resulting in similar memory usage.
Only one selection is required in the following subsection, if unsure of which to use then go with the first listed for now. It's always possible to switch at a later date if required.
Ranked from least involved to most involved:
- Full automation approach: Distribution kernels
- A Distribution Kernel is used to configure, automatically build, and install the Linux kernel, its associated modules, and (optionally, but enabled by default) an initramfs file. Future kernel updates are fully automated since they are handled through the package manager, just like any other system package. It is possible provide a custom kernel configuration file if customization is necessary. This is the least involved process and is perfect for new Gentoo users due to it working out-of-the-box and offering minimal involvement from the system administrator.
- Manual approach
- New kernel sources are installed via the system package manager. The kernel is manually configured, built, and installed using the eselect kernel and a slew of make commands. Future kernel updates repeat the manual process of configuring, building, and installing the kernel files. This is the most involved process, but offers maximum control over the kernel update process.
The core around which all distributions are built is the Linux kernel. It is the layer between the user's programs and the system hardware. Although the handbook provides its users several possible kernel sources, a more comprehensive listing with more detailed descriptions is available at the kernel packages page.
Kernel installation tasks such as copying the kernel image to /boot or the EFI System Partition, generating an initramfs and/or Unified Kernel Image, updating bootloader configuration, can be automated with installkernel. Users may wish to configure and install sys-kernel/installkernel before proceeding. See the Kernel installation section below for more more information.
Distribution kernels
Distribution Kernels are ebuilds that cover the complete process of unpacking, configuring, compiling, and installing the kernel. The primary advantage of this method is that the kernels are updated to new versions by the package manager as part of @world upgrade. This requires no more involvement than running an emerge command. Distribution kernels default to a configuration supporting the majority of hardware, however two mechanisms are offered for customization: savedconfig and config snippets. See the project page for more details on configuration.
Optional: Signed kernel modules
The kernel modules in the prebuilt distribution kernel (sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-bin) are already signed. To sign the modules of kernels built from source enable the modules-sign USE flag, and optionally specify which key to use for signing in /etc/portage/make.conf:
/etc/portage/make.confEnable module signingUSE="modules-sign"
# Optionally, to use custom signing keys.
MODULES_SIGN_KEY="/path/to/kernel_key.pem"
MODULES_SIGN_CERT="/path/to/kernel_key.pem" # Only required if the MODULES_SIGN_KEY does not also contain the certificate.
MODULES_SIGN_HASH="sha512" # Defaults to sha512.
If MODULES_SIGN_KEY is not specified the kernel build system will generate a key, it will be stored in /usr/src/linux-x.y.z/certs. It is recommended to manually generate a key to ensure that it will be the same for each kernel release. A key may be generated with:
root #openssl req -new -noenc -utf8 -sha256 -x509 -outform PEM -out kernel_key.pem -keyout kernel_key.pemThe MODULES_SIGN_KEY and MODULES_SIGN_CERT may be different files. For this example the pem file generated by OpenSSL includes both the key and the accompanying certificate, and thus both variables are set to the same value.
OpenSSL will ask some questions about the user generating the key, it is recommended to fill in these questions as detailed as possible.
Store the key in a safe location, at the very least the key should be readable only by the root user. Verify this with:
root #ls -l kernel_key.pem-r-------- 1 root root 3164 Jan 4 10:38 kernel_key.pem
If this outputs anything other then the above, correct the permissions with:
root #chown root:root kernel_key.pemroot #chmod 400 kernel_key.pem
Installing a distribution kernel
To build a kernel with Gentoo patches from source, type:
root #emerge --ask sys-kernel/gentoo-kernelSystem administrators who want to avoid compiling the kernel sources locally can instead use precompiled kernel images:
root #emerge --ask sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-binDistribution Kernels, such as sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel and sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-bin, by default, expect to be installed alongside an initramfs. Before running emerge to install the kernel users should ensure that sys-kernel/installkernel has been configured to utilize an initramfs generator (for example Dracut) as described in the installkernel section.
Upgrading and cleaning up
Once the kernel is installed, the package manager will automatically update it to newer versions. The previous versions will be kept until the package manager is requested to clean up stale packages. To reclaim disk space, stale packages can be trimmed by periodically running emerge with the --depclean option:
root #emerge --depcleanAlternatively, to specifically clean up old kernel versions:
root #emerge --prune sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-binBy design, emerge only removes the kernel build directory. It does not actually remove the kernel modules, nor the installed kernel image. To completely clean-up old kernels, the app-admin/eclean-kernel tool may be used.
Post-install/upgrade tasks
An upgrade of a distribution kernel is capable of triggering an automatic rebuild for external kernel modules installed by other packages (for example: sys-fs/zfs-kmod or x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers). This automated behaviour is enabled by enabling the dist-kernel USE flag. When required, this same flag will also trigger re-generation of the initramfs.
It is highly recommended to enable this flag globally via /etc/portage/make.conf when using a distribution kernel:
/etc/portage/make.confEnabling USE=dist-kernelUSE="dist-kernel"
Manually rebuilding the initramfs or Unified Kernel Image
If required, manually trigger such rebuilds by, after a kernel upgrade, executing:
root #emerge --ask @module-rebuildIf any kernel modules (e.g. ZFS) are needed at early boot, rebuild the initramfs afterward via:
root #emerge --config sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel
root #emerge --config sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-bin
After installing the Distribution Kernel successfully, it is now time to proceed to the next section: Configuring the system.
Alternative: Manual configuration
Installing and Configuring the kernel sources
When manually compiling the kernel for ppc-based systems, Gentoo recommends the sys-kernel/gentoo-sources package.
Choose an appropriate kernel source and install it using emerge:
root #emerge --ask sys-kernel/gentoo-sourcesThis will install the Linux kernel sources in /usr/src/ using the specific kernel version in the path. It will not create a symbolic link by itself without the symlink USE flag being enabled on the chosen kernel sources package.
It is conventional for a /usr/src/linux symlink to be maintained, such that it refers to whichever sources correspond with the currently running kernel. However, this symbolic link will not be created by default. An easy way to create the symbolic link is to utilize eselect's kernel module.
For further information regarding the purpose of the symlink, and how to manage it, please refer to Kernel/Upgrade.
First, list all installed kernels:
root #eselect kernel listAvailable kernel symlink targets: [1] linux-6.18.8-gentoo
In order to create a symbolic link called linux, use:
root #eselect kernel set 1root #ls -l /usr/src/linuxlrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Oct 13 11:04 /usr/src/linux -> linux-6.18.8-gentoo
Manually configuring a kernel is commonly seen as one of the most difficult procedures a system administrator has to perform. Nothing is less true - after configuring a few kernels no one remembers that it was difficult! There are two ways for a Gentoo user to manage a manual kernel system, both of which are listed below:
Only one selection is required in the following subsection, if unsure of which to use then go with the first listed for now. It's always possible to switch at a later date if required.
Option 1 - Modprobed-db process
A very easy way to manage the kernel is to first install sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-bin and use the sys-kernel/modprobed-db to collect information about what the system requires. modprobed-db is a tool which monitors the system via crontab to add all modules of all devices over the system's life to make sure it everything a user needs is supported. For example, if an Xbox controller is added after installation, then modprobed-db will add the modules to be built next time the kernel is rebuilt.
For now please follow installing sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-bin via Distribution_kernels.
Next, install sys-kernel/modprobed-db:
root #emerge --ask sys-kernel/modprobed-dbPlease watch out for further steps related to modprobed-db in the Handbook.
More on this topic can be found in the Modprobed-db article.
Option 2 - Assisted manual process
This method allows a user to have full control of how their kernel is built with as minimal help from outside tools as they wish. Some could consider this as making it hard for the sake of it.
However, with this choice one thing is true: it is vital to know the system when a kernel is configured manually. Most information can be gathered by emerging sys-apps/pciutils which contains the lspci command:
root #emerge --ask sys-apps/pciutilsInside the chroot, it is safe to ignore any pcilib warnings (like pcilib: cannot open /sys/bus/pci/devices) that lspci might throw out.
Another source of system information is to run lsmod to see what kernel modules the installation CD uses as it might provide a nice hint on what to enable.
Now go to the kernel source directory.
root #cd /usr/src/linux
To view the full list of make arguments available for the kernel, run
make help.The kernel has a method of autodetecting the modules currently being used on the installcd which will give a great starting point to allow a user to configure their own. This can be called by using:
root #make localmodconfigManually configuring should not be needed at this point, but if a user wish to check:
root #make nconfigNow it's time to decide if modules signing is required in the steps listed in here
If not, proceed to building described here
Option 3 - Configuring by hand
The Linux kernel configuration has many, many sections and as configuring a kernel by hand is rarely needed thanks to the two tools listed above. The steps to do it by hand are now included at Kernel/Gentoo_Kernel_Configuration_Guide
Optional: Signed kernel modules
To automatically sign the kernel modules enable CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_ALL:
[*] Enable loadable module support
-*- Module signature verification
[*] Automatically sign all modules
Which hash algorithm should modules be signed with? (Sign modules with SHA-512) --->
Optionally change the hash algorithm if desired.
To enforce that all modules are signed with a valid signature, enable CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_FORCE as well:
[*] Enable loadable module support
-*- Module signature verification
[*] Require modules to be validly signed
[*] Automatically sign all modules
Which hash algorithm should modules be signed with? (Sign modules with SHA-512) --->
To use a custom key, specify the location of this key in CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_KEY. If unspecified, the kernel build system will generate a key. It is recommended to generate one manually instead. This can be done with:
root #openssl req -new -nodes -utf8 -sha256 -x509 -outform PEM -out kernel_key.pem -keyout kernel_key.pemOpenSSL will ask some questions about the user generating the key, it is recommended to fill in these questions as detailed as possible.
Store the key in a safe location, at the very least the key should be readable only by the root user. Verify this with:
root #ls -l kernel_key.pem-r-------- 1 root root 3164 Jan 4 10:38 kernel_key.pem
If this outputs anything other then the above, correct the permissions with:
root #chown root:root kernel_key.pem
root #chmod 400 kernel_key.pem
-*- Cryptographic API --->
Certificates for signature checking --->
(/path/to/kernel_key.pem) File name or PKCS#11 URI of module signing key
To also sign external kernel modules installed by other packages via linux-mod-r1.eclass, enable the modules-sign USE flag globally:
/etc/portage/make.confEnable module signingUSE="modules-sign"
# Optionally, when using custom signing keys.
MODULES_SIGN_KEY="/path/to/kernel_key.pem"
MODULES_SIGN_CERT="/path/to/kernel_key.pem" # Only required if the MODULES_SIGN_KEY does not also contain the certificate
MODULES_SIGN_HASH="sha512" # Defaults to sha512
MODULES_SIGN_KEY and MODULES_SIGN_CERT may point to different files. For this example, the pem file generated by OpenSSL includes both the key and the accompanying certificate, and thus both variables are set to the same value.
Compiling and installing
With the kernel is configured, it is time to compile and install it. Exit the configuration menu and run the following commands:
root #make && make modules_installIt is possible to enable parallel builds using make -j N with N being the integer number of parallel tasks that the build process is allowed to launch. This is similar to the instructions about /etc/portage/make.conf earlier, with the MAKEOPTS variable.
When the kernel has finished compiling, copy the kernel image to /boot/. This is handled by the make install command. When using BootX to boot, the kernel will be copied later.
root #make installThis command will copy the kernel image to /boot. If sys-kernel/installkernel is installed it will call /sbin/installkernel instead and delegate the kernel installation. Instead of simply copying the kernel to /boot, Installkernel installs each kernel with its version number in the file name. Additionally, installkernel provides a framework for automatically accomplishing various tasks relating to kernel installation, such as: generating an initramfs, building an Unified Kernel Image, and updating the bootloader configuration.
Continue the installation with Configuring the system.