Building a Custom Kernel

This page describes the procedure for building a custom FreeBSD kernel. Before performing this procedure, you should review the FreeBSD Handbook article Building and Installing a Custom Kernel.

If your sources have been updated since your last ‘make world’ (or since installation if you haven’t done a ‘make world’ yet), you should follow the steps listed in the Make World cheat sheet instead of this procedure.

  1. Start with a copy of the GENERIC kernel’s configuration file:

    2. # cd /usr/src/sys/i386/conf
    # cp GENERIC YOURKERNEL

  2. Edit the configuration file as required for the installed hardware. Remember, /usr/src/sys/i386/conf/NOTES is your friend!
  3. Compile and install the new kernel:

    4. # cd /usr/src
    # make buildkernel KERNCONF=YOURKERNEL
    # make installkernel KERNCONF=YOURKERNEL

  4. Reboot the machine and cross your fingers.

    5. # shutdown -r now

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