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5.2.2: Installation under Linux v1.2.13

This subsection describes how to modify the sources of the Linux v1.2.13 kernel to enable use of ftape with this kernel version. Please note that ftape probably won't work with kernel version 1.2.13 and DEC Alpha machines(1).

Please follow the steps described below. I assume that your kernel source tree starts at `/usr/src/linux/' and that the ftape distribution lives in `/usr/src/ftape-4.04/'. It is necessary to modify the kernel for two reasons:

  1. ftape needs to allocate dma memory dynamically and Linux v1.2.13 does not export the following symbols for use with kernel modules:
    __get_dma_pages
    intr_count

    Thus one needs to modify

    /usr/src/linux/kernel/ksyms.c
    
  2. ftape needs the macro virt_to_bus, so one needs to change the file
    /usr/src/linux/include/asm-i386/io.h
    

    The old `io.h' may also cause trouble with newer GNU C-compilers (`gcc-2.7.0' and up, if so).

  3. ftape needs some macros defined in the `./include/linux/wrappers.h' included in newer kernel versions (post 1.2.13). This file doesn't exist in 1.2.13 and hence the macros are missing (and the compiler will complain that it can't find this include file).

Now, please use the following steps to modify the kernel:

  1. Change to the top of your kernel source tree:
    cd /usr/src/linux/
    
  2. Modify the kernel sources such that ftape can be used with Linux v1.2.13. There are two possibilities for changing the kernel sources, these are:

    Patching 1.2.13. See Patching 1.2.13.

    Changing 1.2.13 by hand. See Changing 1.2.13 by hand.

  3. Recompile your kernel with the following steps:
    make clean
    make dep
    make zlilo
    make modules
    make modules_install
    

    You may need to replace make zlilo by the command you need to install your kernel such that you can boot it. Alternatives are for example `make zdisk' or `make zImage'. The latter does only compile the kernel and does not install the kernel image.

    Please don't forget the `make dep'.

So this is it. You should now be able to compile the ftape-4.04 package with Linux v1.2.13 (see Compiling ftape).

However, there were numerous problem reports for installing ftape and zftape versions under Linux v1.2.x. The problems most often encountered are:

Patching 1.2.13 Changing 1.2.13 by using the patch command.
Changing 1.2.13 by hand Doing it yourself.


(1) Is this still true? I have remove ALL machine dependent timing code from ftape. So it may work with all architectures as well. Or not. FIXME


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