HOWTO: Build and Flash Motorola's kernel from source

**diego.carrera** · 04-25-2010, 12:07 PM

DISCLAIMER:
I'm not responsible for any damages done to your phone. Please read carefully, and also please, please do a nandroid backup.
If any of the following fails, don't continue. And post your errors on this thread.

Prepare your system

Code:

$ sudo apt-get install git-core gnupg sun-java5-jdk flex bison gperf libsdl-dev libesd0-dev libwxgtk2.6-dev build-essential zip curl libncurses5-dev zlib1g-dev

Get the Kernel sources for your device from https://opensource.motorola.com/sf/g...s.cliqdext/frs
Be sure to download the one for your CLIQ/DEXT, if you compile other than the one intended for your device you will be left in 1969!! (DISCO!).

Note: The latest for TMO, is split in 3 files, download all of them.

Once you have downloaded all your files

Code:

$ mkdir ~/motorola-source
$ gunzip morrison-customer-tmo-1_4-release-1_4_8-framework.tar.gz
$ tar xvf morrison-customer-tmo-1_4-release-1_4_8-framework.tar -C ~/motorola-source
$ gunzip morrison-customer-tmo-1_4-release-1_4_8-external.tar.gz
$ tar xvf morrison-customer-tmo-1_4-release-1_4_8-external.tar -C ~/motorola-source
$ gunzip morrison-customer-tmo-1_4-release-1_4_8-kernel.tar.gz
$ tar xvf morrison-customer-tmo-1_4-release-1_4_8-kernel.tar -C ~/motorola-source

This should leave a directory structure like this under ~/motorola-source

Code:

$ ls ~/motorola-source
base  bionic  bootable  build  dalvik  external  frameworks  kernel  libhardware  libhardware_legacy  Makefile  msm7k  out  prebuilt  README.txt  system  unpack.pl  vendor

Now lets get the prerequisites stated at ~/motorola-source/README.txt

Once you have downloaded all of previous requirements you will need to download several things from android to do this:

Code:

$ mkdir ~/moto-prerquisites
$ cd ~/moto-prerquisites
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/frameworks/base.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/libhardware.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/libhardware_legacy.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/msm7k.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/prebuilt.git

Get ready to wait a while because de prebuilt repository is quite big
Once all of the above have finished lets set the prerequisites to the TAGS specified in the README.txt

Code:

$ cd ~/moto-prerquisites/base 
$ git checkout android-1.5r3

$ cd ~/moto-prerquisites/libhardware
$ git checkout android-1.5r3

$ cd ~/moto-prerquisites/libhardware_legacy
$ git checkout android-1.5r3

$ cd ~/moto-prerquisites/msm7k
$ git checkout android-1.6_r1

$ cd ~/moto-prerquisites/prebuilt
$ git checkout android-1.5r3

Once you've done this copy all the directories to ~/motorola-source

Code:

$ cp -r base libhardware libhardware_legacy msm7k prebuilt ~/motorola-source

Now we have to unpack what comes in the sources from motorola

Code:

$ cd ~/motorola-source
$ chmod +x unpack.pl
$ ./unpack.pl

Now you have everything that's needed to compile your kernel
You have to set some variables first

Code:

$ export PLATFORM_DIR=~/motorola/source
$ export ARCH=arm
$ export CROSS_COMPILE=arm-eabi-
$ export PATH=/prebuilt/linux-x86/toolchain/arm-eabi-4.2.1/bin:

Now lets build

Code:

cd /kernel 
$ make msm_mot_defconfig

This line will build the kernel and output a zImage

Code:

$ make ANDROID_BUILD_TOP=

This will build the wireless driver module dhd.ko

Code:

$ make -C /system/wlan/bcm/osrc/open-src/src/dhd/linux ANDROID_BUILD_TOP=

Now you have build your kernel!
results should be

Code:

~/motorola-source/kernel/arch/arm/boot/zImage
~/motorola-source/system/wlan/bcm/osrc/open-src/src/dhd/linux/dhd.ko

In order to flash this to your system you will need
A nandroid backup and unpack-bootimg.pl and repack-bootimg.pl get them from here http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.ph...ck_Boot_Images

Code:

$ mkdir ~/bin
$ unzip unpack-bootimg.zip -d ~/bin
$ unzip repack-bootimg.zip -d ~/bin
$ export PATH=:~/bin

With your nandroid backup search for your boot.img and copy it somewhere easy to find

Code:

$ mkdir ~/mymoto
$ cd ~/mymoto
$ cp /path/to/my/nandroid/boot.img .

Extract the boot image

Code:

$ unpack-bootimg.pl boot.img

this will leave you with

Code:

$ ls ~/mymoto
boot.img  boot.img-kernel.gz  boot.img-ramdisk  boot.img-ramdisk.cpio.gz

Now lets repack that boot image with our new kernel

Code:

$ cd ~/mymoto
$ repack-bootimg.pl ~/motorola-source/kernel/arch/arm/boot/zImage boot.img-ramdisk my-boot.img

//You'll need android-sdk installed to use adb search the forums on how to install android-sdk
Now push your image and wireless driver to your phone

Code:

$ adb push my-boot.img /sdcard/
$ adb push ~/motorola-source/system/wlan/bcm/osrc/open-src/src/dhd/linux/dhd.ko /system/lib/
$ adb shell

Now let's see where we should flash our image

Code:

# cat /proc/mtd
dev:    size   erasesize  name
mtd0: 00300000 00020000 "boot"
mtd1: 08ac0000 00020000 "system"
mtd2: 0df80000 00020000 "userdata"
mtd3: 00040000 00020000 "misc"
mtd4: 00500000 00020000 "recovery"
mtd5: 06000000 00020000 "cache"
mtd6: 00080000 00020000 "splash"

As we can see mtd0 is where our boot image is stored, be sure to checkout wich one corresponds to your phone but it should be the same for all

now erase /dev/mtd/mtd0

Code:

# cat /dev/zero > /dev/mtd/mtd0
write: No space left on device [this is ok, you can ignore]
# flash_image boot /sdcard/my-boot.img
# reboot

That's it now you have built and flashed your newly built kernel!

**adlx** · 04-25-2010, 02:19 PM

you'll need to remount /system RW before copying dhd.ko to /system/lib, adb remount or by running rwsystem.

I'd also check for permission of /system/lib/dhd.ko after pushing it. If not correct, change them back to 644 (actually, it's not really necesarry as module is loaded by root, but I like to let them as is)

# ls -a -l /system/lib/dhd.ko
ls -a -l /system/lib/dhd.ko
-rw-r--r-- root root 198756 1970-01-01 01:39 dhd.ko

**denkai** · 04-25-2010, 06:28 PM

After unpacking the motorola files I ran

Code:

ls ~/motorola-source

and received this:

Code:

bionic    build   external    kernel    prebuilt    system     vendor
bootable  dalvik  frameworks  Makefile  README.txt  unpack.pl

on input

Code:

git clone git://git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/prebuilt.git

I receive output

Code:

Initialized empty Git repository in /home/ryan/prebuilt/.git/
fatal: Unable to look up git (port <none>) (Servname not supported for ai_socktype)

**diego.carrera** · 04-25-2010, 08:41 PM

The problem is this

Code:

git clone git://git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/prebuilt.git

it should be

Code:

git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/prebuilt.git

It is fixed now on the original!

**denkai** · 04-25-2010, 08:50 PM

yea... I noticed it, just figured I'd let you know. No better way then to show I did it exactly lol.

**adlx** · 04-27-2010, 02:44 PM

When you run:

$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/frameworks/base.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/libhardware.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/libhardware_legacy.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/msm7k.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/prebuilt.git

it will create all the following structure:
base/
libhardware/
libhardware_legacy/
msm7k/
prebuilt/

I believe the directories should better to be placed like in Android tree, which is:

frameworks/base/
hardware/libhardware/
hardware/libhardware_legacy/
hardware/msm7k/
prebuilt/

**adlx** · 10-11-2010, 11:48 AM

Stickied!

**dlucio** · 10-22-2010, 02:07 PM

Please paste your .config kernel so we may look forwar for some enhancements.

**adlx** · 10-24-2010, 05:49 AM

You can get the .config of a running kernel using this command:

zcat /proc/config.gz > /sdcard/config.txt

(Will work if the kernel is compiled with in .config support :-) ).

You can also use the extract-ikconfig script to extract from a kernel file.

**diego.carrera** · 10-28-2010, 05:05 PM

Thnx for the sticky!

**dlucio** · 11-08-2010, 01:28 PM

make -C /system/wlan/bcm/osrc/open-src/src/dhd/linux ANDROID_BUILD_TOP=
doestn work, in my case i shall place
make -C /system/wlan/bcm/osrc/open-src/src/dhd/linux ANDROID_BUILD_TOP=~/motorola-source

**blancoisgod** · 12-04-2010, 12:02 PM

where are the pre requisites? i can t find them on source.android.com

**csolanol** · 12-04-2010, 12:07 PM

The first post says how to obtain them:
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/frameworks/base.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/libhardware.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/libhardware_legacy.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/hardware/msm7k.git
$ git clone git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/prebuilt.git

**blancoisgod** · 12-05-2010, 07:01 AM

thank you [MENTION=246072]saka[/MENTION]rino2k2

sorry, i misread it to say"read the prerequisites in the readme.txt and download them. Then do the git install commands" I need to sleep haha

also, if i install the prerequisites once, do i have to do it again?

**nachobkc** · 12-09-2010, 05:26 PM

you rock guys... my promisse, when finish the final year exams ill build a functional kernel (with some help

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