I'm trying to compile a kernel module per Brad's video series here: https://forums.ni.com/t5/NI-Linux-Real-Time-Documents/Working-with-the-Linux-Kernel-on-NI-LabVIEW-RT-targets-Exercise/ta-p/3538644 I'm doing so on an actual linux PXI target. I've downloaded the linux source and performed the first few steps, although I can't get the entire kernel to compile: /bin/sh: line 1: 7655 Segmentation fault ./tools/objtool/objtool check --no-fp --retpoline "init/.tmp_main.o" make[3]: *** [scripts/Makefile.build:327: init/main.o] Error 139 make[2]: *** [Makefile:1044: init] Error 2 make[1]: *** [scripts/package/Makefile:106: ni-pkg] Error 2 make: *** [Makefile:1371: ni-pkg] Error 2 To skip past it I've tried looking around at other documents which suggest running make oldconfig, make prepare, make modules_prepare, and so on. With the source on the machine, I've tried running Brad's ninoop module makefile and it gets the same error: ./tools/objtool/objtool check --module --no-fp --retpoline "/home/admin/ninoop-module/.tmp_ninoop.o"; /bin/sh: line 1: 3607 Segmentation fault ./tools/objtool/objtool check --module --no-fp --retpoline "/home/admin/ninoop-module/.tmp_ninoop.o" make[2]: *** [scripts/Makefile.build:333: /home/admin/ninoop-module/ninoop.o] Error 139 make[1]: *** [Makefile:1532: _module_/home/admin/ninoop-module] Error 2 make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/admin/linux' make: *** [Makefile:8: all] Error 2 I've edited my makefile to look like this, where BKMS is set to the directory of my downloaded kernel source obj-m += ninoop.o BMKS?=/home/admin/linux/ BMARCH?=x86_64 BMVERBOSE?=1 all: make V=$(BMVERBOSE) ARCH=$(BMARCH) -C $(BMKS) M=$(PWD) modules clean: make V=$(BMVERBOSE) ARCH=$(BMARCH) -C $(BMKS) M=$(PWD) clean I've also tried compiling against /lib/module/4.14....(uname -r)/build When I go in here I get a different error make[3]: *** No rule to make target 'arch/x86/entry/syscalls/syscall_32.tbl', needed by 'arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_32.h'. Stop. make[2]: *** [arch/x86/Makefile:257: archheaders] Error 2 make[1]: *** [scripts/package/Makefile:106: ni-pkg] Error 2 make: *** [Makefile:1371: ni-pkg] Error 2 I'm essentially trying to get a basic kernel module to compile so that I can try to compile a vendor's code for nilrt. Because the platform is so unique I figure compiling on the target is best (in fact the vendor's installer does this). So are there some special steps I need to follow to make kernel compilation work on an actual target?

You shouldn't need to download the kernel source for an on-target compilation of an out-of-tree module (which the example is). The kernel headers should be sufficient. Looking at the PXI Linux RT System Image for Q1 2019, that image actually appears to already include everything you need (make, kernel-dev (the headers), gcc, kmod, etc). Note: Brad's example is meant to demonstrate debugging as well and has a deliberate error in it. To get the cat /dev/ninoop command to work below you'll need to fix that as discussed around the 17 minute mark in his video. Here's the steps I took to get things working on a PXIe-8880: Installed the System Image for Q1 2019. Installed LabVIEW Real-Time to the controller (not actually convinced this is necessary) Used wget to pull down the ninoop source and extracted it to /home/admin which created the /home/admin/ninoop-module/ directory. Ran make inside that new directory with the modified make file I described above (including your correction). This should create ninoop.ko in that directory. After doing so, I did the following: Confirmed the module binary was present. Ran "insmod ninoop.ko" cat /dev/ninoop Give that a try.