Trying out the Kernel Module

Trying out the Kernel Module
	Repackaging the SuSE NovFS system for Ubuntu

Procedure 62. Compiling and Inserting the NovFS Kernel Module

Trying to build the module from source
1. Picking the module from the source tree
  With the source unpacked as shown above, we look up version of the module according to the Makefile:
  grep ^NOVFS_VFS_ kernel-source-2.6.27.19/usr/src/linux-2.6.27.19-3.2/fs/novfs/Makefile |awk '{print $3}'|tr '\n' '.' 2.0.0.440.
  
  Then we pick out the novfs source directory and delete the rest of the tree:
  cp -rp kernel-source-2.6.27.19/usr/src/linux-2.6.27.19-3.2/fs/novfs ./novfs-2.0.0.440 rm -rf kernel-source-2.6.27.19
2. Modifying the Makefile
  We create a working copy of novfs-2.0.0.440 and cd into it:
  mkdir -p wd/novfs-2.0.0.440 cd !$
  , then to the Makefile we prepend:
```
CONFIG_NOVFS=m
		
```
  and append: ^[30]:
```
LNXINC=/lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/

all:
        make -C $(LNXINC) SUBDIRS=`pwd` modules

clean:
        rm -f Modules.symvers
        make -C $(LNXINC) SUBDIRS=`pwd` clean
		  
```
3. Adding the DKMS config file
  We create novfs-2.0.0.440/dkms.conf containing:
```
PACKAGE_NAME="novfs"
PACKAGE_VERSION="2.0.0.440"
CLEAN="make clean"
BUILT_MODULE_NAME[0]="novfs"
MAKE[0]="make all"
DEST_MODULE_LOCATION[0]="/kernel/fs/novfs/"
AUTOINSTALL="yes"
		
```
4. Copying the filesystem module source into /usr/src
  
  cd ~/novfs-hack
  sudo cp -rp wd/novfs-2.0.0.440 /usr/src/
5. Compiling and inserting the module
  We tell the dkms subsystem about the new module:
  sudo dkms add -m novfs -v 2.0.0.440 Creating symlink /var/lib/dkms/novfs/2.0.0.440/source -> /usr/src/novfs-2.0.0.440 DKMS: add Completed.
  We build the module:
  sudo dkms build -m novfs -v 2.0.0.440 Kernel preparation unnecessary for this kernel. Skipping... Building module: cleaning build area.... make KERNELRELEASE=2.6.27-14-generic all...... cleaning build area.... DKMS: build Completed.
  ... and we install it:
  sudo dkms install -m novfs -v 2.0.0.440 Running module version sanity check. novfs.ko: - Original module - No original module exists within this kernel - Installation - Installing to /lib/modules/2.6.27-14-generic/updates/dkms/ depmod..... DKMS: install Completed.
6. Doublechecking whether the module loads
  
  sudo modprobe novfs lsmod|grep novfs novfs 127920 0

^[30] If you copy from this page, make sure you copy tabs instead of spaces :)


Unpacking kernel source and RPMs		Installing the generated .DEBs