Creating Kernel Kernels

Question

I just got the book "Linux Kernel Development" by Robert Love. It has many places where you need to change and build the core. Since I have to go with this. Is it better to use a virtual machine, or should I somehow get a suitable test machine for it, because I do not want to work with my system and data.

Answer 1

VM has the advantage of providing snapshots. They allow you to save the state of the machine - if the kernel assembly does not work, you simply restore the snapshot, and you can take as many snapshots as you have disk space to store them. You can also clone and redeploy the VM image, so you have many identical systems for testing.

The same experiments on a physical machine will require much more effort (cloning / cloning a disk, reinstalling the OS, etc.).

VirtualBox is a free cross-platform virtualization software.

Answer 2

There are many textbooks on the Internet on this topic, for example. here:

• http://www.digitalhermit.com/linux/Kernel-Build-HOWTO.html
• http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/gregkh/lkn/lkn_pdf/ch04.pdf

Answer 3

You can do one or the other. An alternative somewhere in between is to set up a dual boot. This is a little riskier than a virtual machine, but not too much.

Answer 4

• coLinux

• or run linux iso image using QEMU in windows