Appendix D: How to configure the kernel
correctly
This appendix is to give some assistance
with the configuration of the kernel ISDN drivers; any additional details
are beyond the scope of this manual.
Linux offers three ways to configure
the kernel:
- make config
- make menuconfig
- make xconfig
They all must be initiated in
/usr/src/linux and require root permissions. The first
two commands are run on the console or in a xterm window. make
menuconfig is a lot more comfortable than config, under
X howerver, I prefer the last option xconfig, which is also why
the following illustrations are screenshots from make xconfig.
In case you decide to use the
HiSax module (possibly because you have to) this option must be enabled
(under 'Loadable module support'):
Here I also included support for the
kernel daemon; this little helper sees to it that modules are loaded
when they are needed and unloaded when they are not needed. It is a
matter of taste if you wish to have the ISDN driver loaded automatically
or manually; in case of the HiSax driver, it is recommended to have
kISDN take care of the business for you.
Of all the 'Networking options'
we really only need the TCP/IP protocol,

but we include two other options:

The first option drops IP packages whose route was predefined by the
sender (security aspect) the second allows the use of large transmission
windows (which does not really improve ISDN performance, but does not
do any harm, either).
Of the 'Network device support' options we need

The first needing no further description,
we get a dummy network device - it's use can be best found out about
in the 'network administrator's guide'.

This options should be clear as well.
If you planning on using channel bundling
at times, you will need the following option:
The kernel will then support the Multi-Point-To-Point-Protocol
(MPPP).
The following settings are dependant
on whether you want to compile the ISDN driver as a module or directly
into the kernel; with PnP cards you won't have the second option - the
corresponding drivers must be compiled as modules. The reason for
that is that the kernel is loaded befor the initialization of the PnP
cards, which is why drivers that are compiled directly into the kernel
cannot find them. That is why we assume that you are using a PnP card
or else you can simply choose <y> instead of <m>.
The necessity for the second option
depends on your ISP; when in doubt, you should probably include support
for it - it does not do any harm.
These settings assume that your ISDN
adapter is based on the HSCX/ISAX chipsatz by Siemens (which is probably
the case). Also, the EURO/DSS1 protocol is enabled and the (old) german
1TR6 disabled. It is improbable that you will need 1TR6 so go ahead
and disable it( if you need it, you will find out).
After these relatively generic settings, you will have to choose your
ISDN card.
The configuration is completed by pressing
in the main menu.
This process should be well
documented in your distribution's manual, I will only cover the installation
of the kernel on the harddrive. First of all, the kernel components' dependencies
are calculated and possible 'objectcode bodies' removed,
make dep ; make clean
The kernel is translated and LILO reconfigured using:
make zlilo
Next, the modules are compiled,
make modules
and installed after a successful compilation:
make modules_install
The last step is to make the root device readonly during boot time (the
one that will also contain the kernel image),
rdev -R /vmlinuz 1
That's it. You can now reboot your system.
This description is very generic, leaving out every distribution specific
aspect. If you are unsure, you should consult your distribution's manual
or ask someone who knows what he's doing, since a misconfigured kernel
may render your system unbootable. [ one advice for debian users - you
can configure the kernel as described above; compiling and installing
is a lot easier, though: after you have configured your kernel, simply
type make-kpkg kernel-image (part of kernel-package-xxx.deb).
A debian package will be created in /usr/src that contains both
the kernel and modules. Install it using dpkg -i kernel-image-2.0.x-ix86
]
Back to the overview
T. Westheider, Ch. Demmer, Ch. Zander
/ January 8 1999 - kISDN Release 0.8.0