Compiling Linux for Sony Laptop from a ThinkPad

Linux Cross Compilation

Introduction

As technology enthusiasts and developers, we sometimes encounter old hardware that still works well but needs a refresh. Recently, I decided to give my trusty old Sony laptop a second life by cross-compiling the Linux kernel on my ThinkPad and running it on the Sony laptop. The experience helped me learn more about cross-compilation, hardware compatibility, and Linux customization.

In this post, I will walk you through the steps of how I compiled a custom Linux kernel for my Sony laptop from my ThinkPad.

Step 1: Setting Up the Build Environment on the ThinkPad

The first step in cross-compiling the Linux kernel was to set up the appropriate build environment on my ThinkPad. This included installing essential tools like gcc, make, and cross-compilation tools for the x86_64 architecture.

To begin, I used the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential libncurses-dev bison flex libssl-dev libelf-dev

Step 2: Downloading the Linux Kernel Source Code

I then downloaded the latest Linux kernel source code. I chose the version that would be suitable for my Sony laptop’s hardware and started configuring the kernel for compilation:

wget https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.11.tar.xz
tar -xvf linux-6.11.tar.xz
cd linux-6.11

Step 3: Configuring the Kernel for the Sony Laptop

Since I was compiling the kernel on my ThinkPad, I needed to ensure that the configuration was appropriate for the Sony laptop. I used the kernel configuration from the Sony laptop as a starting point:

scp user@sony:/boot/config-<version> .config
make ARCH=$(ARCH) CROSS_COMPILE=$(CROSS_COMPILE) O=$(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR) -C $(KERNEL_SRC_DIR) olddefconfig

This copied the kernel configuration from the Sony laptop and used it to adjust the new kernel for compatibility.

Step 4: Cross-Compiling the Kernel

To cross-compile the kernel, I used the following command:

make -j$$(nproc) ARCH=$(ARCH) CROSS_COMPILE=$(CROSS_COMPILE) O=$(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR) -C $(KERNEL_SRC_DIR)

This compiled the Linux kernel for the target architecture of the Sony laptop, while running the build process on my ThinkPad.

Step 5: Transferring the Kernel to the Sony Laptop

After the kernel was compiled, I packaged it into a tarball to transfer it over to the Sony laptop:

tar -czvf kernel-package.tar.gz /path/to/kernel/files
scp kernel-package.tar.gz user@sony:/path/to/sony/

Step 6: Installing the Kernel on the Sony Laptop

Once the kernel was transferred, I extracted it on the Sony laptop, copied the kernel and modules to the appropriate directories, and updated GRUB to reflect the new kernel:

sudo cp vmlinuz /boot/vmlinuz-6.11.0+
sudo cp System.map /boot/System.map-6.11.0+
sudo update-grub

After rebooting, the Sony laptop was running the custom-compiled Linux kernel!

Conclusion

This experience of cross-compiling the Linux kernel on my ThinkPad and running it on the Sony laptop was both satisfying and informative. It breathed new life into the Sony laptop, and it reinforced how powerful Linux is when it comes to working with diverse hardware. If you have an older laptop lying around, consider giving it a second life with a custom Linux kernel!

What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.