Re: [gentoo-user] Gentoo-Sources/Vanilla-Sources/Video 4 Linux

[Volker Armin Hemmann <volker.armin.hemmann@tu-clausthal.de>]

On Monday 29 September 2008, Jon Hardcastle wrote:
> > > > On Monday 29 September 2008, Jon Hardcastle
> >
> > wrote:
> > > > > Hi, i have spent the weekend trying to get
> >
> > my new
> >
> > > > Hauppage USB tv stick to
> > > >
> > > > > work under linux.
> > > > >
> > > > > I have been constantly perplexed by
> >
> > references to
> >
> > > > compilable kernel modules
> > > >
> > > > > I couldn't see! I assumed it was because
> >
> > they
> >
> > > > referred to old modules or
> > > >
> > > > > something.
> > > > >
> > > > > But having downloaded and booted into
> >
> > Knoppix and run
> >
> > > > make menuconfig on
> > > >
> > > > > that i have confirmed that kernel seems to
> >
> > have
> >
> > > > 10's of TV card chipset
> > > >
> > > > > drivers availible to compile whereas
> > > >
> > > > gentoo-sources/vanilla-sources emerged
> > > >
> > > > > on my machine have maybe 2 or 3.
> > > > >
> > > > > Can someone offer me some assistance as to
> >
> > why this
> >
> > > > might be?
> > > >
> > > > > Thank you
> > > > >
> > > > > (This is my first mailing list post - please
> >
> > be
> >
> > > > gentle!)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > because a large part of the dvb/tv drivers are
> >
> > developed
> >
> > > > outside of the main
> > > > kernel tree. Also a large part is hidden under
> > > > experimental.
> > > >
> > > > For my dvb-t stick I need to checkout a mercurial
> >
> > rep and
> >
> > > > do a make, make
> > > > install in it do get drivers that work. And with
> > > > 'work' I mean: no sound on
> > > > first try, but after disconnecting the stick and
> > > > reconnecting it, it suddenly
> > > > works.
> > >
> > > Hi, I went thru this process but i still dont have the
> >
> > option to add
> >
> > > support as a kernel module. Should the mercurial add
> >
> > steps to the
> >
> > > menuconfig?
> >
> > no.
> > it just installs all the drivers in the rep as modules. It
> > doesn't touch any
> > configs at all.
>
> Hmmm i wonder why i have seen sooo many references to alot more kernel
> options than i have in either my gentoo-sources or vanilla-sources.

because they patch their kernel.

> Is it
> possible to 'patch' the kernel source instead of downloading using
> mercurial. Also how does it 'know' what kernel to make the modules
> available under? I have 3 sets of kernel code on my machine?

a) /usr/src/linux
b) uname -r
c) just make clean && make&& make install for every kernel.

Why patch at all? with the rep and make&& make install you get all the 
drivers. It is not that much 'overhead' compared to the work of patching the 
kernel. And you don't even need to worry about which driver you need - 
autoloading will do that for you ;)