Kernel

From SystemRescueCd

About this page

This page describes the Linux kernel provided with SystemRescueCd. It tells you what patches and features are included, and how to add a missing driver or feature. Sources for the kernels used in SystemRescueCd are availables at that address: http://kernel.sysresccd.org/

Goals of the kernel choices

The current kernel is linux-2.6.32, with several patches: the first one adds the support for the Reiser4 file system. It's a powerful journalized FS, that is optimized to reduce the wasted space on the disk, and increase the speed on small and average files. This kernel aims to support the most important hardware. I included all options that could be useful to users (hardware support, file system support, network protocols, ...).

Submit a change request

Despite this, several drivers could be missing. If you need them, please give us the new config file required. For that, you have to get the same kernel sources by applying our patches, and setup the kernel configuration with our parameters. When you have selected the new required options, please send us the new config file. You can find our patches and kernel-config file here:

Kernels provided on SystemRescueCd-1.4.0

standard-kernels: (rescuecd and rescue64)

• recent linux version with its patches: linux-2.6.32.9
• kernel sources are based on vanilla (it's stable) with the sysresccd patchset
• the two kernel images are rescuecd (32bit) and rescue64 (64bit)
• both IDE and SATA hard disk drivers are based on the libsata (all disks are sda, sdb, ...)
• almost all disk-controllers (IDE, SATA, SCSI) and network drivers are compiled as modules (so that you can use noload-xxx if it hangs)
• it supports the frame buffer, the frame buffer can be enabled with the boot option (vga=xxx)
• the standard kernel is prefered if you want to use wither ext4 or btrfs, since it's quite recent

alternative-kernels: (altker32 and altker64)

• stable linux version version: linux-2.6.27.45
• kernel sources are based on linux-2.6.27 (series with long term maintenance) with the sysresccd patchset
• the two kernel images are altker32 (32bit) and altker64 (64bit)
• both IDE and SATA hard disk drivers are based on the libsata (all disks are sda, sdb, ...)
• almost all disk-controllers (IDE, SATA, SCSI) and network drivers are built-in (no need to load a module)
• there is no frame buffer support

Both 32bit and 64bit kernels are available:

32 bit kernels

• rescuecd and altker32 are the two 32bit kernels provided
• any Intel/AMD/VIA based processor should work with the 32bit kernel
• you can run a 32bit kernels even if you have a processor that supports 64bit instructions (amd64 / em64t)
• you can work (backup/restore) 64bit programs with a 32bit kernel
• you cannot chroot on an existing linux partition with 64bit programs with a 32bit kernel

64 bit kernels

• rescue64 and altker64 are the two 64bit kernels provided
• 64bit kernels will work only if your processor supports amd64 (AMD implementation of x86_64) or em64t (Intel implementation of x86_64) instruction set
• 64bit kernels do not work on IA64 / Itanium processors
• you must use a 64bit kernel if you want to chroot to a linux system using 64bit programs.
• 64bit kernels can execute 32bit programs since the IA32 instructions support is included in the kernel