> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.siderolabs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Proprietary Kernel Modules

> Adding a proprietary kernel module to Talos Linux

export const VersionWarningBanner = () => {
  const latestVersion = "v1.13";
  const [latestUrl, setLatestUrl] = useState(null);
  const [currentVersion, setCurrentVersion] = useState(null);
  const [isBeta, setIsBeta] = useState(false);
  const parseVersion = v => v.replace("v", "").split(".").map(Number);
  const isGreaterVersion = (a, b) => {
    const [aMajor, aMinor] = parseVersion(a);
    const [bMajor, bMinor] = parseVersion(b);
    if (aMajor > bMajor) return true;
    if (aMajor === bMajor && aMinor > bMinor) return true;
    return false;
  };
  useEffect(() => {
    if (typeof window === "undefined") return;
    const {pathname, hash, search} = window.location;
    const match = pathname.match(/\/talos\/(v\d+\.\d+)\//);
    if (!match) return;
    const detectedVersion = match[1];
    if (detectedVersion === latestVersion) return;
    setCurrentVersion(detectedVersion);
    if (isGreaterVersion(detectedVersion, latestVersion)) {
      setIsBeta(true);
    }
    const newPath = pathname.replace(`/talos/${detectedVersion}/`, `/talos/${latestVersion}/`);
    setLatestUrl(`${newPath}${search}${hash}`);
  }, []);
  if (!latestUrl || !currentVersion) return null;
  return <div className="not-prose sticky top-6 z-50 my-6">
      <div className="border border-yellow-500/30 bg-yellow-500/10 px-4 py-3 rounded-xl">
        <div className="text-sm">
          {isBeta ? <>
              ⚠️ You are viewing a <strong>beta version</strong> of Talos ({currentVersion}).
              This version may be unstable.
              <a href={latestUrl} className="ml-2 underline text-yellow-400 hover:text-yellow-300 font-medium">
                View latest stable version {latestVersion} →
              </a>
            </> : <>
              ⚠️ You are viewing an older version of Talos ({currentVersion}).
              <a href={latestUrl} className="ml-2 underline text-yellow-400 hover:text-yellow-300 font-medium">
                View the latest version {latestVersion} →
              </a>
            </>}
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>;
};

<VersionWarningBanner />

1. Patching and building the kernel image
   1. Clone the `pkgs` repository from Github and check out the revision corresponding to your version of Talos Linux

      ```bash theme={null}
      git clone https://github.com/talos-systems/pkgs pkgs && cd pkgs
      git checkout v0.8.0
      ```

   2. Clone the Linux kernel and check out the revision that pkgs uses (this can be found in `kernel/kernel-prepare/pkg.yaml` and it will be something like the following: `https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/linux-x.xx.x.tar.xz`)

      ```bash theme={null}
      git clone https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git && cd linux
      git checkout v5.15
      ```

   3. Your module will need to be converted to be in-tree.
      The steps for this are different depending on the complexity of the module to port, but generally it would involve moving the module source code into the `drivers` tree and creating a new Makefile and Kconfig.

   4. Stage your changes in Git with `git add -A`.

   5. Run `git diff --cached --no-prefix > foobar.patch` to generate a patch from your changes.

   6. Copy this patch to `kernel/kernel/patches` in the `pkgs` repo.

   7. Add a `patch` line in the `prepare` segment of `kernel/kernel/pkg.yaml`:

      ```bash theme={null}
      patch -p0 < /pkg/patches/foobar.patch
      ```

   8. Build the kernel image.
      Make sure you are logged in to `ghcr.io` before running this command, and you can change or omit `PLATFORM` depending on what you want to target.

      ```bash theme={null}
      make kernel PLATFORM=linux/amd64 USERNAME=your-username PUSH=true
      ```

   9. Make a note of the image name the `make` command outputs.

2. Building the installer image
   1. Copy the following into a new `Dockerfile`:

      ```dockerfile theme={null}
      FROM scratch AS customization
      COPY --from=ghcr.io/your-username/kernel:<kernel version> /lib/modules /lib/modules

      FROM ghcr.io/siderolabs/installer:<talos version>
      COPY --from=ghcr.io/your-username/kernel:<kernel version> /boot/vmlinuz /usr/install/${TARGETARCH}/vmlinuz
      ```

   2. Run to build and push the installer:

      ```bash theme={null}
      INSTALLER_VERSION=<talos version>
      IMAGE_NAME="ghcr.io/your-username/talos-installer:$INSTALLER_VERSION"
      DOCKER_BUILDKIT=0 docker build --build-arg RM="/lib/modules" -t "$IMAGE_NAME" . && docker push "$IMAGE_NAME"
      ```

3. Deploying to your cluster

   ```bash theme={null}
   talosctl upgrade --image ghcr.io/your-username/talos-installer:<talos version> --preserve=true
   ```