ndt-users list created

[Tom Throckmorton <>]

Hello Fred,

Comments inline below...

On 7/22/09 11:23 AM, Holloway, Fred wrote:
> Distro: RHEL 5.3
> Kernel: 2.6.18-128.2.1.el5PAE
> Patch:  web100-2.6.18-2.5.12-200609221010.patch
> 
> Following these instructions
> 
> http://code.google.com/p/perfsonar-ps/wiki/RPMPackagingOtherSofwareCookBook

The kernel build instructions in that doc are actually more specific to
rebuilding a more recent Fedora kernel release, not RHEL; the kernel
source packages and build processes between those versions are similar,
but the EL kernel build process steps are slightly different, especially
if you're trying to rebuild an rpm version of the kernel package.  It is
definitely possible to build against the current upstream RHEL kernel,
but at the tradeoff of running behind on the web100 release.

> Description:
> 
> Trying to patch existing kernel with web100 patch provided by web100.org.
> 
> When trying to patch the kernel source with the web100 patch I get the 
> following failed chunks.
> 
> (the reject files are attached).
> 
> + echo 'Patch #4000 (web100-2.6.18-2.5.12-200609221010.patch):'
> Patch #4000 (web100-2.6.18-2.5.12-200609221010.patch):
> + patch -p1 -s
> 1 out of 2 hunks FAILED -- saving rejects to file 
> include/linux/netlink.h.rej
> 1 out of 2 hunks FAILED -- saving rejects to file include/linux/sysctl.h.rej
> 1 out of 25 hunks FAILED -- saving rejects to file net/ipv4/tcp_input.c.rej
> 1 out of 6 hunks FAILED -- saving rejects to file net/ipv6/tcp_ipv6.c.rej
> error: Bad exit status from /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.19281 (%prep)

The good news there is that I get the exact same result when trying to
apply the web100 patch to that version.  As others have pointed out,
additional manual patching is necessary here, and depending on how
you're rebuilding, perhaps several other steps.  If you haven't yet had
success with the patching part and are interested, I have a modified
web100 patch in hand that will work with that particular kernel package,
as well as source/binary packages, though they're not yet tested.  We're
working on making those, and other related bits, available for general
consumption to (hopefully) make deploying and using this easier for
others - if you're interested in any of that in the interim, please feel
free to contact me offline.

I can sympathize with wanting/needing to stick with something close to
current on your RHEL systems.  We run our NDT servers on a CentOS 5.x
base with a web100-enabled kernel rebuilt from a more recent upstream
Fedora release - been running that way for a while now with no apparent
issues.  Our motivation for doing this was in part because the source
rpm contains fewer patches (~100, vs. ~3,000) which makes adapting the
web100 patch simpler, but also because it allows us to use a more recent
web100 release, which will presumably be more in-line with and better
tested against a more recent NDT release.  Striking a balance between
those is something I suspect others have been struggling with as well -
I'd be interested to hear your motivations/requirements for wanting to
rebuild that particular kernel version...


Cheers,


-tt

-- 
Tom Throckmorton
MCNC - Advanced Services Development
3021 Cornwallis Road
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
919.248.1448

"Connecting North Carolina's future today"