2mo ago

Gentoo help: sys-kernel/Installkernel

wiki.gentoo.org

Configuring the Linux kernel - Gentoo wiki

Im following the handbook, and I'm up to configuring the kernel. (In a vm. Skipping the optional installing firmware/microcode for now)

Trying for an OpenRC system, but it looks like all the steps need systemd.

All the videos I watched seems to skip this step and just go to Kernel configuration and compilation, but I dont want to a) mix old videos and up-to-date handbook, and b) blindly copy commands. I understood mostly everything untill now. Just this kernel step where I got lost the first time I tried to install gentoo.

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You can install gentoo-kernel-bin and everything works fine. About SystemD, you needn't systemd as init, but you need systemd as udev or other things. Only follow the guide with a non-systemd profile

Gentoo lover and long time user here, OpenRC only.
Feel free to pm/DM me for any question in general.
I use Genkernel, works like a charm.
- Spend my Saturdays on my machine. Rest of the week im reading the handbook on my lunchbreaks. Think I know what to do now, but will see how I go this weekend.
  
  🤣

Can you share which step you are up to which doesn't have a non-systemd instruction?
- Around 2.1
  Systemd boot, OpenRC, then systemd-utils
  I should probably bring up this will be my first non-systemd distro. (Maybe I should have looked at Artix first. But too late)
  
  So if you want to use systemd-boot as the bootloader you have to (apparently) install the systemd-utils package. Or you can just use GRUB / efistub.
  Edit: looks like groche beat me to it 😁
  It's probably been 4 years since I last had to rebuild my Gentoo, but I would be very surprised if there weren't good OpenRC instructions. I built mine with systemd and Gentoo handbook instructions always felt like 'Are you sure you don't want to use OpenRC? Ok, here are the systemd steps I guess'
  
  Within section 2.1 choose only one subsection to follow. Those are all alternative bootloader options.
  The bootloader subsection chosen in 2.1 on this page should match what is done in Configuring the Bootloader. The default path on that page is GRUB, which does not require any systemd components.
  If following the GRUB path, follow instructions in 2.1.1 and skip the rest of 2.1. This is not at all clear in the handbook.
  I believe that sys-kernel/installkernel is a utility script internal to the Gentoo project that can be configured to work with various bootloader solutions, including (optionally) systemd, and that is what this section 2.1 is talking about.
  This appears to be an out of order dependency in the handbook
  
  But you want to use systemd-boot? Obviously you need to install systems-utils if you want to install systemd-boot, but you can use grub or something else bootloader

Weather update: 3am. Finished my first install in a VM. Learnt so much. Like I can side boot it on a spare drive/partition on my main rig, without messing up my current install. (Another day though. Sleep important too)

10 comments