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#1 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 06:14 AM

After installing the base Gentoo a couple of dozen times now, more of it
is starting to make sense. I still haven't managed to get my modem
on-line to try a real emerge but that is just a matter of reading some
more.

However, as I play with the kernel configuration, I can make one that
works but halfway through boot up I get a message saying that Gentoo
requires DEVFS and it must be compiled in the kernel. Fair enough, but I
can't find or recognise the appropriate option in menuconfig. I have
never seen that on RedHat compiles, but it is obviously a file system and
googling says that it is an option under menuconfig filesystem - I just
don't recognise it. Can anybody point out where to look.

Thanks

BD

#2 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 06:14 AM

The DEVFS that the kernel complains about should be listed as "/dev file
system". If memory serves, it is listed either under File Systems, or
beneath that under "Other File Systems".

--jm

Bill Davis wrote:

> After installing the base Gentoo a couple of dozen times now, more of it
> is starting to make sense. I still haven't managed to get my modem
> on-line to try a real emerge but that is just a matter of reading some
> more.
>
> However, as I play with the kernel configuration, I can make one that
> works but halfway through boot up I get a message saying that Gentoo
> requires DEVFS and it must be compiled in the kernel. Fair enough, but I
> can't find or recognise the appropriate option in menuconfig. I have
> never seen that on RedHat compiles, but it is obviously a file system and
> googling says that it is an option under menuconfig filesystem - I just
> don't recognise it. Can anybody point out where to look.
>
> Thanks
>
> BD

#3 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 06:14 AM

Bill Davis wrote:

Hello Bill, hello Usenet,

> After installing the base Gentoo a couple of dozen times now, more of it
> is starting to make sense. I still haven't managed to get my modem
> on-line to try a real emerge but that is just a matter of reading some
> more.

Maybe you should try the genkernel-way first and install your custom kernel
after you've your system up and running?

> However, as I play with the kernel configuration, I can make one that
> works but halfway through boot up I get a message saying that Gentoo
> requires DEVFS and it must be compiled in the kernel. Fair enough, but I
> can't find or recognise the appropriate option in menuconfig.

You've to enable "Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers" at
the "Code maturity level options", then you can enable "/dev filesystem
support" under "file systems".

> I have never seen that on RedHat compiles, but it is obviously a file
> system and googling says that it is an option under menuconfig filesystem
> - I just don't recognise it. Can anybody point out where to look.

See above. DevFS is an attempt to stop that minor/major-number-, every
possible device in /dev-, mknod-manually-dance that happens in /dev without
DevFS (or udev or whatever). Whilst marked "experimental" in the 2.4 kernel
series, it's marked obsolete in the new 2.6 kernel, so I guess DevFS won't
stay forever with Gentoo.

HTH,
Stefan.

#4 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 06:14 AM

> Maybe you should try the genkernel-way first and install your custom
> kernel after you've your system up and running?

Well, I have several RH systems online for real work right now, so I can
use the gentoo strictly in a learning mode. In fact, I did do a generic
live cd install several times just to get a feel of the distro.

> You've to enable "Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers"
> at the "Code maturity level options", then you can enable "/dev
> filesystem support" under "file systems".
>
>
Ok, that was the secret. I went through the options before one by one to
try to find the dev fs support and just flat didn't see anything. I knew
that something somewhere must be turned off.

Thanks

BD

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Another newbie question.