Kernel Build

Problems caused by non-Linux/MIPS toolchain

  make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-mips/arch/mips/kernel' mips_4KC-gcc 
  -D__ASSEMBLY__ -D__KERNEL__ -I/usr/eldk/usr/src/linux-mips/include
  -D_MIPS_SZLONG=32 -D_MIPS_SZPTR=32 -D_MIPS_SZINT=32  -g -G 0 -mno-abicalls
  -fno-pic -pipe   -c -o entry.o entry.S

  entry.S: Assembler messages:
  entry.S:225: Error: unrecognized opcode `reg_s $8,164($29)'
  entry.S:226: Error: unrecognized opcode `reg_s $8,164($29)'

_MIPS_SZLONG etc. are normally defined by the gcc compiler driver. That is they should never be defined by the application itself. The precense of such kludgery usually indicates the use of a toolchain that wasn't configured for a Linux/MIPS target.

Ld dies with signal 6

  collect2: ld terminated with signal 6 [Aborted]

This is a known bug in some very old binutils versions. You will have to upgrade to at least binutils 2.8.1 plus very current patches. With Linux 2.4 or newer binutils 2.13.2.1 or newer is probably recommended.

Linux 2.6 build fails early

  $ make
  CHK     include/linux/version.h
  HOSTCC  scripts/basic/fixdep
  HOSTCC  scripts/basic/split-include
  HOSTCC  scripts/basic/docproc
  CC      scripts/mod/empty.o
  gcc: cannot specify -o with -c or -S and multiple compilations
  make[2]: *** [scripts/mod/empty.o] Error 1
  make[1]: *** [scripts/mod] Error 2
  make: *** [scripts] Error 2

There are two possible causes for this failure known:

• Make sure you have set CONFIG_CROSSCOMPILE or add CROSS_COMPILE=<target> to the make invocation.
• A few early Linux 2.6 kernels had a bug which would always result in this error message. In this case you really should upgrade.