Comments on: make bzImage vs make zImage http://ertw.com/blog/2004/04/17/make-bzimage-vs-make-zimage/ Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:46:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sean http://ertw.com/blog/2004/04/17/make-bzimage-vs-make-zimage/comment-page-1/#comment-107 Sean Thu, 17 Jun 2004 17:24:38 +0000 http://ertw.com/blog2/?p=85#comment-107 Don't confuse a zImage kernel with a disk image. A disk image contains a kernel and a filesystem, the zImage kernel is just the kernel itself in a compressed format. It's been a while, but the disk image is usually a msdos file system containing the kernel and a compressed ext2 file system. Mount the floppy as per normal, and see what's on it. One of the files (there may only be one) is the compressed file system. Copy that to your hard drive, gunzip it, and remount it with the loop option, ie mkdir /mnt/loop cp /mnt/floppy/the_filesystem /tmp gunzip /tmp/the_filesystem mount /tmp/the_filesystem /mnt/loop -o loop At that point you can edit the files in /mnt/loop, unmount /mnt/loop, compress /tmp/the_filesystem, copy it back over the old file in /mnt/floppy, and unmount /mnt/floppy (whew) Don’t confuse a zImage kernel with a disk image. A disk image contains a
kernel and a filesystem, the zImage kernel is just the kernel itself in a
compressed format.

It’s been a while, but the disk image is usually a msdos file system
containing the kernel and a compressed ext2 file system. Mount the floppy
as per normal, and see what’s on it. One of the files (there may only be
one) is the compressed file system. Copy that to your hard drive, gunzip
it, and remount it with the loop option, ie

mkdir /mnt/loop
cp /mnt/floppy/the_filesystem /tmp
gunzip /tmp/the_filesystem
mount /tmp/the_filesystem /mnt/loop -o loop

At that point you can edit the files in /mnt/loop, unmount /mnt/loop,
compress /tmp/the_filesystem, copy it back over the old file in
/mnt/floppy, and unmount /mnt/floppy (whew)

]]> By: David Bouthillier http://ertw.com/blog/2004/04/17/make-bzimage-vs-make-zimage/comment-page-1/#comment-106 David Bouthillier Thu, 17 Jun 2004 17:06:29 +0000 http://ertw.com/blog2/?p=85#comment-106 Sean: I have a question about a zImage. I have a TimeSys Linux kernel in a zImage format. What I would like to do is have some users already set up in the /etc/passwd file that is in the zImage file. Is there a way I can decompress the zImage on my Linux machine, edit the /etc/passwd file and then re-zip it? When the zImage is made, it uses the Linux kernel and also the all files its needs (the bins and stuff) right? I have all of the source for the TimeSys Linux kernel but I dont know where to look for these other files that are used in the zImage. Do you know where I could look to figure this out? Thanks Sean:

I have a question about a zImage. I have a TimeSys Linux kernel in a zImage format. What I would like to do is have some users already set up in the /etc/passwd file that is in the zImage file. Is there a way I can decompress the zImage on my Linux machine, edit the /etc/passwd file and then re-zip it?

When the zImage is made, it uses the Linux kernel and also the all files its needs (the bins and stuff) right? I have all of the source for the TimeSys Linux kernel but I dont know where to look for these other files that are used in the zImage. Do you know where I could look to figure this out?

Thanks

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