====== Kernel ======

To get full functionality from our systems, we had to install an SMP kernel. The default non-SMP kernel only saw 1 of our 4 CPUs and 1 GB of our 4 GB of RAM. 

We chose to stick with a 2.4 kernel, to be conservative, and stick with what Debian recommends.

===== Installation =====

Install the kernel headers and SMP kernel image.

  # apt-get install kernel-image-2.4.27-2-686-smp kernel-headers-2.4.27-2-686-smp

The package installation also updated the GRUB configuration.

Reboot the server to load the new kernel:

  # init 6

===== Testing =====

On reboot, check to see that the system sees all 4 CPUs:

  $ cat /proc/cpuinfo

Check to see that 4 GB of RAM is also enabled:

  $ cat /proc/meminfo

(There are several other ways to verify this information, including the **top** and **free** commands.)

===== TODO =====

We'd like to compile a custom kernel to help with a few more issues:

  * Remove ACPI support, and add APM support. (Both deal power management, but our systems only support the older APM standard.)
  * Remove USB and sound, as our systems do not have those features.
  * Remove SymBIOS SCSI drivers, as we've got nothing attached to those controllers. (We're using the **ida** driver for the SmartArray 4200 RAID controller.)

See the following pages for info on packaging the kernel the Debian way:

  * [[http://www.howtoforge.com/howto_linux_kernel_2.4_compile_debian]]
  * [[http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21]]
  * [[http://www.howtoforge.com/howto_linux_kernel_2.6_compile_debian]]
  * [[http://www.projektfarm.com/en/support/howto/debian_kernel_compile.html]]
  * [[http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/ch-kernel.en.html]]
  * [[http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/reference/ch-kernel.en.html]]
  * [[http://newbiedoc.sourceforge.net/system/kernel-pkg.html]]