[PLUG] kernel config/compile sanity check

[JP Vossen <jp@jpsdomain.org>]

I have to reverse engineer what someone at work did before he somewhat 
unexpectedly left (with no documentation).  Among other things, there is 
a custom Linux kernel in the mix.  I have 10 different build dirs for 7 
different kernel versions (2.6.7 to 2.6.33) from 4 different build 
machines.  (Sigh.)

After talking about this at PLUG N a bit, the plan is something like:
1) tar 'em all up, just in case
2) Copy .../.config files & rename with kernel version
3) Try to figure out the original source
4) If I can, diff against that to detect patches (unlikely, but...)
5) Boot some of the devices and look for /proc/config.gz (doubt it)
6) Check ~/.bash_history files from the build machines

Anything else I'm missing or that will bite me?


Bonus question.  I used to be familiar with packaging software into 
RPMs, but it's been a few years and I've never packaged a kernel for 
CentOS-5.x.  What's the best HOWTO, and do you have any other hints?

Lee reminded me of http://www.asic-linux.com.mx/~izto/checkinstall/, but 
what wasn't quite what I was thinking of.  I had something like this 
more in mind: http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/Custom_Kernel

Thanks,
JP
----------------------------|:::======|-------------------------------
JP Vossen, CISSP            |:::======|      http://bashcookbook.com/
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