Linux backport from 4.1.1 to 3.2 for bluetooth low energy

[ryanmusic]

Hello,

I am currently using Debian 7 (Kernel 3.2) and would like to install bluez 5 for bluetooth low energy. It seems that newer version of bluez 5 has minimum requirement of kernel version so I would like to use Linux backport to patch bluetooth drivers to Kernel 3.2 from 4.1.1. I checked the website and downloaded backport-4.1.1 from http://drvbp1.linux-foundation.org/~mcg ... /backports but have some questions here.

1. When I decompressed and executed 'make defconfig', it shows the kernel header is needed. Does that mean I will need to have header for kernel 4.1.1 under /lib/modules/ ?
2. If I don't know which specific things for bluetooth that I need to backport, Should I backport all drivers under kernel/driver/bluetooth/ ? And how could I do that?
3. Where can I find the information on what I should backport at once for any specific technology (bluetooth, wi-fi etc)?

It would be great if anyone could help. Thanks!

Sincerely,
Ryan

[pylkko]

Read the wiki. UTFSE (startpage.com) with terms like "backports" "wiki" and "debian"

[stevepusser]

The poster is just trying to upgrade the bluetooth drivers for the 3.2 kernel from the kernel "backports" source code. It doesn't have anything to do with the Debian backports system.

To answer the question, yes, you need a kernel driver build environment. The easy way to do this is to install module-assistant and run as sysadmin in a terminal:

Code: Select all

m-a prepare

Let the "m-a prepare" script do all the hard work for you.

[pylkko]

Ok. Sorry. I thought the poster is trying to update the entire kernel to 3.5 or later from the other thread that the poster started. But apparently not, but truly wants to actually do the more complicated thing and create a custom kernel based on 3.2 for bluez.

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=130846

[stevepusser]

The OP isn't rebuilding the whole kernel, only updating some of the drivers in it. The changes can also be rolled back by uninstalling the drivers.

[ryanmusic]

Thanks guys! Yes, as stevepusser mentioned, I would like to upgrade only the "bluetooth" part from newer kernel version. If it's possible, how would I know which part of folders include whatever that's needed for bluetooth functionality? Even though there's a specific folder called linux/drivers/bluetooth, but this is only for "hardware driver of bluetooth chips" right? How about bluetooth component built-in kernel, it's not possible right?

[pylkko]

I don't know.

However, if BLE only requires a module, then you can download the source, which comes in an archive and use module-assistant as per steve's post to get config and build module. Then replace module with modprobe. Now if you have the dependencies installed and built Bluez 5 as was discussed in your earlier thread, then it should work.
http://askubuntu.com/questions/515407/h ... nel-module


However, I for one, do not know if BLE requires rebuilding kernel in itself, that is whether or not the functionality is provided only by modules and userspace software or not.

You probaly have your reasons, but I don't see why you don't just install 3.16 kernel from Debian repo and then install/compile bluez 5