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Install Kernel

This is a step-by-step guide on how to install kernel for those who are new to kernel development.

System Setup​

  • OS: Ubuntu 18.04 (64bit)
  • Current kernel: 5.3.0-42-generic
  • Installed kernel: 5.4.1

Step-by-step Instructions​

Preparing Source Code​

In this article, I assume that /usr/src is a working directory. First of all, change directory to /usr/src and download kernel source code with the following command.

cd /usr/src
wget https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/linux-5.4.1.tar.gz

Decompress the code with tar command.

tar -xvf linux-5.4.1.tar.gz

Compiling​

Before compiling you have to install some packages.

sudo apt install flex bison libssl-dev libelf-dev

Then change directory to linux-5.4.1 and create .config file with the following command.

make olddefconfig
make localmodconfig

Finally, compile with the following command. 4 indicate how many thread do you use.

make -j 4

Installing​

Install modules and kernel image with the following command.

make modules_install && make install

Updating Config for Bootloader​

Update grub configuration with the following command.

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
  • Reboot.

Option: Change Default Kernel Version​

If you need to change default kernel, you can select kernel by editting /etc/default/grub as follows.

GRUB_DEFAULT="Advanced options for Ubuntu>Ubuntu, with Linux x.x.x"