4. Kernel preparation

You may have to upgrade your Linux kernel in order to use the DRI. This is because you need a kernel version which supports AGP. Building a new Linux kernel can be difficult for beginners but there are resources on the Internet to help. This document assumes experience with configuring, building and installing Linux kernels.

Linux kernels can be downloaded from www.kernel.org

Download the needed kernel and put it in /usr/src. Create a directory for the source and unpack it. For example:

            cd /usr/src
	    rm -f linux
            mkdir linux-2.3.51
            ln -s linux-2.3.51 linux
            bzcat linux-2.3.51.tar.bz2 | tar xf -
            

Now configure your kernel. You might, for example, use make menuconfig and do the following:

• Go to Code maturity level options
• Enable Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers
• hit ESC
• Go to Character devices
• Disable Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 DRI support) since we'll use the DRI module from the XFree86/DRI tree.
• Go to /dev/agpgart (AGP Support) (EXPERIMENTAL) (NEW)
• Hit SPACE twice
• Enable all chipsets' support for AGP

It's recommended that you turn on MTRRs under Processor type and Features, but not required.

Configure the rest of the kernel as required for your system (i.e. Ethernet, SCSI, etc)

Exit, saving your kernel configuration.

Edit your /etc/lilo.conf file. Make sure you have an image entry as follows (or similar):

            image=/boot/vmlinuz
                  label=linux.2.3.51
                  read-only
                  root=/dev/hda1
            

The important part is that you have /boot/vmlinuz without a trailing version number. If this is the first entry in your /etc/lilo.conf AND you haven't set a default, then this will be your default kernel.

Now compile the new kernel:

            cd /usr/src/linux-2.3.51
            make dep ; make bzImage
            make modules ; make modules_install
            make install
            

Now reboot to use this new kernel.