Estime Installation Guide

To install Estime,

1. compile and install a custom kernel patched with an Estime patch;
2. compile and install the user library.

Custom Kernel

Estime modifies the standard Linux kernel so that virtual timers can be started and stopped when the Linux scheduler switches in and out. Thus, before using the library, you need to compile and install a patched kernel.

From the top directory of the kernel source tree:

• Patch kernel source tree with the appropriate patch version.
  $ patch -p1 <estime.patch
   
• Clean up the source directory.
  $ make mrproper
   
• Configure the kernel.
  $ make xconfig
   
  Turn on Estime in the kernel configuration.
  CONFIG_ESTIME=y
  (requires CONFIG_ESTIME=y and CONFIG_X86_TSC=y)
   
  From the xconfig interface,
  In
  "Code maturity level options",
  choose y for
  "Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers".
   
  Then in
  "Processor type and features",
  select any Pentium for
  "Processor Family"
  and choose y for
  "Pentium Cycle Counter Estime Virtual Timer Support"
   
• Build the kernel.
  $ make dep clean bzImage modules
   
• Install the new kernel.
  (These steps must be performed as root.)
   
  $ make modules_install
  $ make install
   
  If you prefer to perform the installation manually,
  omit the last command (make install) and do these instead:
  $ cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-UNAME
  $ cp System.map /boot/System.map-UNAME
  $ mkinitrd /boot/initrd-UNAME.img UNAME
  and add a new section to your bootloader.
   
• Install the include files
  $ install -o root -g root include/asm/estime.h /usr/include/asm
  $ install -o root -g root include/linux/estime.h /usr/include/linux
   
• Reboot with the new kernel.
   

Additional Resources on Building a Custom Kernel

• Appendix of Red Hat Linux Customization Guide
• Chapter of Linux Mandrake Reference Manual

User Library

From the Estime package lib directory:

• Build the library.
  $ make
   
• Install the library (by default to /usr/include).
  (This step must be performed as root.)
  $ make install