How to compile a device driver into the kernel?-CodePudding

I have a PC and I have NIC. I run on Rocky Linux and the NIC is D-Link DFE-530TX

This is the driver I found: http://www.opendrivers.com/download/driver-118312.html

In the /LINUX directory after unpacking there is a good linux.txt file that states the following.

Kernel Supported
================
    This driver supports linux kernel version 2.2.x, 2.4.x and 2.6.x now.
    For 2.6 kernel, it supported up to 2.6.18 in this version.

The full TxT file can be read here (for a year from now): https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/cVbJ2BqJvG/

My out-of-the-box Rocky 8.6 comes like this:

Operating System: Rocky Linux 8.6 (Green Obsidian)
CPE OS Name: cpe:/o:rocky:rocky:8:GA
Kernel: Linux 4.18.0-372.26.1.el8_6.x86_64
Architecture: x86-64

My question would be It is possible to compile the driver ? If the answer is yes than I would ask how I need to compile it ?

My expection is somebody will be able to explain to me the essence of the activity or be able to share a good step-by-step from which I can learn it by myself.

(I red a lot and tried in many ways without success. It fails with on the most different ways.)

Mentioned /LINUX directory contains a Makefile but make command fails if I enter.

Makefile:70: *** Linux kernel source not configured - missing version.h. Stop.

[root@iredmail LINUX]# find / -name version.h
    /root/build/kernel/include/generated/uapi/linux/version.h
    /usr/include/lzma/version.h
    /usr/include/elfutils/version.h
    /usr/include/linux/dvb/version.h
    /usr/include/linux/version.h
    /usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-372.26.1.el8_6.x86_64/include/config/arch/want/compat/ipc/parse/version.h
    /usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-372.26.1.el8_6.x86_64/include/config/clang/version.h
    /usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-372.26.1.el8_6.x86_64/include/config/gcc/version.h
    /usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-372.26.1.el8_6.x86_64/include/generated/uapi/linux/version.h
    /usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-372.26.1.el8_6.x86_64/include/linux/version.h
    /usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-372.26.1.el8_6.x86_64/include/uapi/linux/dvb/version.h
    /usr/src/kernels/4.18.0-372.26.1.el8_6.x86_64/include/xen/interface/version.h

P.S. I know there is VIA support in the kernel. Compiling a kernel takes hours and I expect compile only a driver into a ready kernel takes significantly less time. But I don't know how I need to do.

P.S.2 I am interested in any solution that avoids compiling the whole kernel. Thank you in advance.

Appendix - content of Makefile

DEBUG = 0

KSP :=  /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build \
    /usr/src/linux-$(shell uname -r) \
    /usr/src/linux-$(shell uname -r | sed 's/-.*//') \
    /usr/src/kernel-headers-$(shell uname -r) \
    /usr/src/kernel-source-$(shell uname -r) \
    /usr/src/linux-$(shell uname -r | sed 's/\([0-9]*\.[0-9]*\)\..*/\1/') \
    /usr/src/linux

test_dir = $(shell [ -e $(dir)/include/linux ] && echo $(dir))
KSP := $(foreach dir, $(KSP), $(test_dir))

KSRC := $(firstword $(KSP))
ifeq (,$(KSRC))
  $(error Linux kernel source not found)
endif

# check kernel version
KVER := $(shell uname -r | cut -c1-3 | sed 's/2\.[56]/2\.6/')
KERVER2=$(shell uname -r | cut -d. -f2)

ifeq ($(KVER), 2.6)
  # 2.6 kernel
  TARGET = rhinefet.ko
  BUILTIN = via-rhine.ko
else
  TARGET = rhinefet.o
  BUILTIN = via-rhine.o
endif

INSTDIR := $(shell find /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r) -name $(TARGET) -printf "%h\n" | sort | head -1)
ifeq (,$(INSTDIR))
        ifeq (,$(KERVER2))
                ifneq (,$(wildcard /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/kernel))
                        INSTDIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net
                else
                        INSTDIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/net
                endif
        else
                ifneq ($(KERVER2),2)
                        INSTDIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net
                else
                        INSTDIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/net
                endif
        endif
endif

SRC = rhine_main.c rhine_proc.c rhine_wol.c rhine_hw.c

# build rule
ifeq ($(KVER), 2.6)
# 2.6 kernel

obj-m  = rhinefet.o
rhinefet-objs := rhine_main.o rhine_proc.o rhine_wol.o rhine_hw.o

default:
    make -C $(KSRC) SUBDIRS=$(shell pwd) modules

else
# 2.2/2.4 kernel

OBJS := rhine_main.o rhine_proc.o rhine_wol.o rhine_hw.o

VERSION_FILE := $(KSRC)/include/linux/version.h
CONFIG_FILE  := $(KSRC)/include/linux/config.h

ifeq (,$(wildcard $(VERSION_FILE)))
  $(error Linux kernel source not configured - missing version.h)
endif

ifeq (,$(wildcard $(CONFIG_FILE)))
  $(error Linux kernel source not configured - missing config.h)
endif

ifneq (,$(findstring egcs-2.91.66, $(shell cat /proc/version)))
  CC := kgcc gcc cc
else
  CC := gcc cc
endif

test_cc = $(shell which $(cc) > /dev/null 2>&1 && echo $(cc))
CC := $(foreach cc, $(CC), $(test_cc))
CC := $(firstword $(CC))

CFLAGS  = -Wall -DLINUX -D__KERNEL__ -DMODULE -DEXPORT_SYMTAB -D__NO_VERSION__ -O2 -pipe
CFLAGS  = -I$(KSRC)/include -I. -Wstrict-prototypes -fomit-frame-pointer
CFLAGS  = $(shell [ -f $(KSRC)/include/linux/modversions.h ] && \
            echo "-DMODVERSIONS -include $(KSRC)/include/linux/modversions.h")

.SILENT: $(TARGET) clean

# look for SMP in config.h
SMP := $(shell $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -E -dM $(CONFIG_FILE) | \
    grep CONFIG_SMP | awk '{ print $$3 }')

ifneq ($(SMP),1)
  SMP := 0
endif

ifeq ($(DEBUG),1)
  CFLAGS  = -DRHINE_DBG
endif

ifeq ($(SMP), 1)
  CFLAGS  = -D__SMP__
endif

# check x86_64
SUBARCH := $(shell uname -m)
ifeq ($(SUBARCH),x86_64)
  CFLAGS  = -mcmodel=kernel -mno-red-zone
endif

$(TARGET): $(filter-out $(TARGET), $(SRC:.c=.o))
    $(LD) -r $^ -o $@
    echo; echo
    echo "**************************************************"
    echo "Build options:"
    echo "   VERSION    $(shell uname -r)"
    echo -n "   SMP        "
    if [ "$(SMP)" = "1" ]; \
        then echo "Enabled"; else echo "Disabled"; fi
    echo "**************************************************"

endif # ifeq ($(KVER),2.6)

ifeq ($(KVER), 2.6)
  install: default
else
  install: clean $(TARGET)
endif
    mkdir -p $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)
    install -m 644 -o root $(TARGET) $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)
    @if [ -f $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN) ] ; then \
        echo "*****  Move official driver $(BUILTIN) to $(BUILTIN).backup file" ; \
        echo "mv $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN) $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN).backup";\
        mv $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN) $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN).backup ; \
        echo ;\
    fi ;
    @if [ -f $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/linuxfet.o ] ; then \
        echo "*****  Move previous driver linuxfet.o to linuxfet.o.backup" ; \
        echo "mv $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/linuxfet.o $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/linuxfet.o.backup";\
        mv $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/linuxfet.o $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/linuxfet.o.backup ; \
        echo ;\
    fi ;

ifeq (,$(MOD_ROOT))
    /sbin/depmod -a || true
else
    /sbin/depmod -b $(MOD_ROOT) -a || true
endif

uninstall:
    rm -f $(INSTDIR)/$(TARGET)
    @if [ -f $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN).backup ] ; then \
        echo "*****  Restore official driver $(BUILTIN) from $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)".; \
        echo "mv $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN).backup $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN)";\
        mv $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN).backup $(MOD_ROOT)$(INSTDIR)/$(BUILTIN) ;\
    fi
    /sbin/depmod -a

clean:
    rm -f $(SRC:.c=.o) rhinefet.o rhinefet.ko rhinefet.mod.c rhinefet.mod.o *~

If I need to add anything to this question please comment it.

CodePudding user response：

I'm afraid you will not be able to build a driver which is supported up to 2.6.18 and your kernel is 4.18.

Good news is that this NIC has upstream Linux driver for quite some time now, look here at the source of 4.18. As per Makefile, it is enabled via CONFIG_SUNDANCE. So I believe this NIC should work out of the box.

If not, you might want to build just this driver as a module for your current kernel. How to do that - this falls out of the scope of this question.