18h of kernel compilation for nothing

Question

Just when it was about to finish, I got:
VOFFSET arch/x86/boot/voffset.h
LDS arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds
AS arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_32.o
CC arch/x86/boot/compressed/misc.o
CC arch/x86/boot/compressed/string.o
CC arch/x86/boot/compressed/cmdline.o
CC arch/x86/boot/compressed/early_serial_console.o
OBJCOPY arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux.bin
HOSTCC arch/x86/boot/compressed/relocs
arch/x86/boot/compressed/relocs.c: In function \u2018print_absolute_symbols\u2019:
arch/x86/boot/compressed/relocs.c:405:14: warning: variable \u2018sh_symtab\u2019 set but not used [-Wunused-but-set-variable]
RELOCS arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux.relocs
LZMA arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux.bin.lzma
lzma: (stdin): Cannot allocate memory
make[2]: *** [arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux.bin.lzma] Error 1
make[1]: *** [arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux] Error 2
make: *** [bzImage] Error 2
==> ERROR: A failure occurred in build().
Aborting...
==> ERROR: Makepkg was unable to build linux-pf.
==> Restart building linux-pf ? [y/N]
==> ---------------------------------
==>

Answer 1

Lockheed wrote:No way. On my Core 2 Duo 2.1Ghz and 4GB RAM Arch kernel compiles in 40-60 minutes (can't say for sure).
Wtf, not possible. Really. On the weekend I'll be at the Pentium-M again, I'll go compile a kernel using the Arch config file. I can't imagine it taking more than half an hour.
Lockheed wrote:No. It's mine. It's awesome and you can't have it Seriously, I have an old lightweight LXbuntu 9.04 on it and it works like a charm.
Whoa!
Though, of course it works like a charm, with 384MB you have plenty of ram. Should be enough even for a kernel compile. Just don't compile in a tmpfs. And, like tomegun says, maybe switch from lzma to gzip compression. And a machine-specific config would also cut down on the compile time a lot.
Lockheed wrote:I have a Pentium 133, too, unfortunately the mobo must be cracked somewhere as it rarely starts. What a pity.
My condolences
We had the habit of always giving away the old computer when we bought a new one. Sometimes I regret it. One of the masterpieces was a Pentium MMX 166Mhz with, get this, 3dfx Voodoo graphics. Yeah, the legendary accelerator. Oh how I wish I still had that. The oldest machine that's still at home is an AMD Duron 800Mhz, with I think a Geforce FX 5200.
Edit: Holy eff, I compiled a kernel with an Arch config on a Core i3-530. It took 24 minutes!! My fairly generic kernel takes 4:30 minutes, a machine-specific one takes 2:30 minutes. Man, the Arch kernel really does have everything including the kitchen sink in it. So I can now see it taking 60 minutes on a Core2Duo.
Compiling all that stuff on a slow machine makes no sense, so Lockheed I really suggest you make a machine-specific config. You'll get the kernel compiled in like 1/10 of the time.
Last edited by Gusar (2012-02-28 14:42:31)