[Triumf-linux-managers] TRIUMF customizations to Scientific Linux distributions

[Rod Nussbaumer]

Recently, I've been working on cross-development of Linux applications 
for an ARM CPU based single board computer. The target SBC uses a SD 
flash memory for storage and as a boot media. To prevent wear and tear 
from write cycles, the SD flash memory uses a wear-leveling filesystem, 
JFS. To install software on the target, it is useful to be able to copy 
object code and other files to the SD card using a card reader attached 
to the development host. However, Scientific Linux is distributed 
without JFS support in the kernel.
In order to build it in, I have built a new kernel on my development 
host. In order for others to do such development work, that effort will 
have to be duplicated on all hosts that developers in the ISAC Controls 
group uses. If the TRIUMF-supported SL distribution could be 
built/modified to include the JFS support, it would be a considerable 
reduction in effort. Would it be deemed feasible to get a JFS-enabled 
kernel built into the local distribution?
There were some unexpected obstacles associated with building the kernel 
that I used (2.6.10). It would seem better to use the standard 
version(s) that SL provides, but I didn't have the patience to go 
through the Redhat way of building kernels from sources. They seem to 
discourage that, from what I read.

Rod Nussbaumer,
ISAC Controls