[LUG] SuSe 7.2, Mice and Modules

[Simon Waters <Simon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

My playing with SuSe 7.2 continues, as I'm using it to build a
security gateway (Funny sort of Firewall).

For this I need 1.91 if FreeSwan, but SuSe only has 1.90 <grrr>

Tried the yast2 software update module, and must congratulate
SuSe on making it crystal clear which patches to install for
security, and which for recommended functionality. (Discovered
yast2 doesn't take kindly to you changing the default route
whilst it is running, but we'll forgive it that I think).
Installed some security patches because they were there. The
multi-megabyte Java SDK updates and related packages never made
it from the SuSe ftp site.

Alas the update site doesn't have FreeSWAN 1.91 yet - so I must
build from source.

"Make" complains I don't have a suitable kernel. Even though
SuSe 2.4.4 kernel is FreeSWAN ready, it needs a kernel and
modules built from source. Now the new kernel doesn't need to be
loaded to run FreeSWAN 1.91, just to build it, but I took the
hint and started developing my "security gateway kernel".

Kernel building.. my first serious 2.4.4 build.

Fortunately I had the SuSe 2.2.4 kernel sources installed - just
a hunch this was coming.

2.4.4 still doesn't let you switch off SMP sensibly despite what
it says in the help.

A somewhat overwhelming number of IP filtering and routing
options - of which I pick most of the sexy ones, as this is to
be a sexy security gateway should I ever make it work.

ReiserFS still under experimental - Hmm. Do remember to build
Reiser into your kernel if your root partition is a ReiserFS
partition !? The only thing I picked from experimental, so I
should be on a rock solid install right?

!!!!!! When trying to boot without the ReiserFS (Okay I made a
typo whilst using "make menuconfig", and lost it the first time
through), after I'd stuck in the new modules "make
modules_install", and rebooted, I found my Mouse was dead, when
using the old kernel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!! Mousy is a "Basic Microsoft" mouse, using the first
serial port. One of those tacky 9 pin to mouse connectors lurks
around back. Does anyone have any idea why a new selection of
modules might kill such a mouse? I tried unloading all the
loadable modules in case it was some new bad module, but
nothing. !!!!!!!!!!!

Went back, added in ReiserFS, and the i82365 PCMCIA module, and
rebooted the bespoke kernel, and mousy is reincarnated, and as
good as new (Well less the five years wear and tear, 5 is a good
age for a mouse I think).

I presume some inconsistency between the modules and the kernel
must be responsible for my dead mouse. Lack of the PCMCIA module
perhaps?

So 2.4.4 kernel building in anger - well it isn't much different
to 2.2, just more features, and less bugs.

Still I have to go from iptable newbie to guru status - so
expect more news soon.
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