Linux Kernel Configuration - Building the kernel

Building the kernel

Now that you have created a kernel configuration that you wish to use, you need to build the kernel. This is as simple as entering a one-word command:

$ 
make

  CHK     include/linux/version.h
  UPD     include/linux/version.h
  SYMLINK include/asm -> include/asm-i386
  SPLIT   include/linux/autoconf.h -> include/config/*
  CC      arch/i386/kernel/asm-offsets.s
  GEN     include/asm-i386/asm-offsets.h
  CC      scripts/mod/empty.o
  HOSTCC  scripts/mod/mk_elfconfig
  MKELF   scripts/mod/elfconfig.h
  HOSTCC  scripts/mod/file2alias.o
  HOSTCC  scripts/mod/modpost.o
  HOSTCC  scripts/mod/sumversion.o
  HOSTLD  scripts/mod/modpost
  HOSTCC  scripts/kallsyms
  HOSTCC  scripts/conmakehash
  HOSTCC  scripts/bin2c
  CC      init/main.o
  CHK     include/linux/compile.h
  UPD     include/linux/compile.h
  CC      init/version.o
  CC      init/do_mounts.o
...

Running make will cause the kernel build system to use the configuration you have selected to build a kernel and all modules needed to support that configuration. ^[5] While the kernel is building, make will display the individual file names of what is currently happening, along with any build warnings or errors.

If the kernel build finished without any errors, you have successfully created a kernel image. However, it needs to be installed properly before you try to boot from it. See Chapter 6, Installing and Booting From a Kernel for how to do this.

It is very unusual to get any build errors when building a released kernel version. If you do, please report them to the Linux kernel developers so they can be fixed.

^[5] Older kernel versions prior to the 2.6 release required the additional step of make modules to build all needed kernel modules. That is no longer required.