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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsTo build Linux 6.3-rc1 for BPF work, check out the exact v6.3-rc1 tag, configure the kernel, compile it with one consistent output directory, boot that kernel, and run the BPF selftests from the same source tree. Enable BTF only if you need it; when CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF is enabled, the documented requirement is pahole version 1.16 or newer.
v6.3-rc1 is a historical release candidate, tagged March 5, 2023 at commit fe15c26ee26efa11741a7b632e9f23b01aca4cc6. It is useful for reproducing or investigating that code base, but it is not a current general-purpose kernel recommendation.
1. Get the exact Linux 6.3-rc1 source
Use the tag rather than an unpinned branch so the kernel and its BPF tests correspond to the same source revision.
git clone https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git
cd linux
git checkout v6.3-rc1
git rev-parse HEADThe final command should print fe15c26ee26efa11741a7b632e9f23b01aca4cc6. If you already have a kernel checkout, fetch the tag first and then check it out.
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2. Prepare a configuration
Configuration is not optional when moving to a new kernel version: new options can be introduced. Start with a suitable existing configuration, then carry it forward with oldconfig, or create one using one of the kernel’s configuration targets.
mkdir -p ../linux-6.3-rc1-build
make O=../linux-6.3-rc1-build oldconfigFor an interactive starting point, use make O=../linux-6.3-rc1-build menuconfig instead. The important rule for an out-of-tree build is consistency: supply the same O=../linux-6.3-rc1-build setting on every kernel-tree make invocation. This keeps generated files out of the source tree and prevents commands from operating on different configurations.
Select the BPF, tracing, debugging, networking, and architecture options required by the programs or tests you intend to run. The exact set depends on the tests and target architecture; do not assume that a generic configuration enables every BPF feature.
3. Check build prerequisites
Requirements vary with architecture and selected configuration. The kernel’s versioned dependency documentation should be treated as authoritative for a reproducibility exercise. The adjacent 6.1 requirements page lists these minimums, but that list is not a captured 6.3-rc1 inventory:
| Tool | Documented minimum in the cited requirements page | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| GNU make | 3.81 or newer | General kernel build requirement; options and architecture can add dependencies. |
| binutils | 2.23 or newer | Required for the toolchain used by the selected architecture. |
| flex | 2.5.35 or newer | Needed by parts of the kernel build system. |
| bison | 2.0 or newer | Needed by parts of the kernel build system. |
| pahole | 1.16 or newer | Required when CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF is enabled to generate BTF from DWARF; not required for every build. |
Use the Documentation/process/changes.rst file inside the 6.3-rc1 tree to check the historically exact package inventory. A distribution’s package names and compiler versions are environment-specific, so a command that installs dependencies on one distribution should not be presented as universal.
For BPF code compiled with LLVM, verify that the installed LLVM toolchain registers the BPF target:
llc --versionInspect the reported targets for a BPF entry. LLVM’s BPF backend is upstream, but an incomplete or mismatched installation can still prevent BPF programs or selftests from compiling.
4. Build the kernel
Ordinary compilation can run as an unprivileged user. With the configuration prepared, build using the same output directory:
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →make O=../linux-6.3-rc1-build -j"$(nproc)"To inspect the complete compiler and linker commands while diagnosing a failure, add V=1:
make O=../linux-6.3-rc1-build V=1 -j"$(nproc)"Keep the resulting kernel, modules, and matching configuration together. If modules are enabled, installation is a separate, privileged operation:
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sudo make O=../linux-6.3-rc1-build modules_install
sudo make O=../linux-6.3-rc1-build installThe exact bootloader update procedure is distribution-specific. Confirm that the new entry points to the 6.3-rc1 kernel and its matching modules before selecting it.
5. Boot safely and confirm the kernel
Keep a known-good kernel available in the boot menu. The kernel README cautions that development releases contain new, not-yet-debugged code; that is a general warning about development releases, not evidence of a particular 6.3-rc1 defect.
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After booting the new entry, verify the running release before testing:
uname -rDo not run the BPF validation suite against a different kernel than the one you built. If the new kernel does not boot or lacks a required option, select the known-good entry, correct the configuration or installation, and rebuild.
6. Build and run the matching BPF selftests
Use the selftests in tools/testing/selftests/bpf/ from the same Linux 6.3-rc1 tree. Tests from a newer mainline tree may encode newer verifier behavior or APIs and are not a reliable substitute for the matching suite.
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Boot the newly installed 6.3-rc1 kernel.
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Change to the BPF selftest directory in the checked-out tree:
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Build and run the documented suite:
sudo make run_tests -
For verifier-focused testing, run:
sudo ./test_verifier
Match the kernel .config as closely as possible to the BPF selftest configuration fragment. A configuration mismatch can cause individual test programs not to compile. The BPF documentation describes BPF_STRICT_BUILD=0 as a way to continue compiling the remaining tests when some test builds fail:
sudo make BPF_STRICT_BUILD=0 run_testsThat setting does not make an incompatible test pass; it allows the rest of the suite to proceed so you can identify which tests were skipped or failed.
7. Choose the right build arrangement
| Decision | Recommended choice | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Generated files | Out-of-tree build with a consistent O= |
Keeps artifacts separate and avoids accidentally mixing configurations. |
| BTF | Enable CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF only when required |
Enabling it adds the conditional pahole requirement; disabling it avoids that generation step. |
| Selftest source | Use tools/testing/selftests/bpf/ from the same tag |
Verifier expectations and test interfaces change over time. |
| Build diagnostics | Add V=1 when troubleshooting |
Shows the full commands needed to locate missing tools, flags, or paths. |
8. Where libbpf fits
libbpf is a userspace loader library for BPF applications; building it is separate from building the kernel. Its build instructions use the libbpf source directory and provide ordinary make and installation targets. libelf and zlib are internal dependencies of that userspace library build. Installing or compiling libbpf does not replace the kernel toolchain, kernel configuration, BTF, or selftest steps described above.
Common failure patterns
The build uses stale or mixed generated files
Check that every kernel-tree command includes the same O= path. Re-run configuration in that output directory rather than alternating between in-tree and out-of-tree commands.
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BTF generation stops on a missing or old pahole
Confirm whether CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF is enabled. If it is, provide pahole 1.16 or newer; if BTF is not needed, disable the option instead of treating pahole as a universal kernel prerequisite.
BPF selftests fail to compile
Verify that the running kernel is the newly built one, that the tests come from the same 6.3-rc1 tree, and that the kernel configuration matches the selftest configuration fragment. Use BPF_STRICT_BUILD=0 only to continue past configuration-dependent compilation failures while identifying the affected tests.
The verifier results look inconsistent
Do not substitute a newer selftest checkout for the matching suite. Test and verifier expectations evolve together, so a newer suite can report failures that do not represent a defect in the older kernel under examination.
The Bottom Line
For a reproducible Linux 6.3-rc1 BPF build, pin the v6.3-rc1 tag, configure it deliberately, use one consistent O= directory, install pahole only when BTF is enabled, boot the resulting kernel, and run the selftests shipped in that same tree.
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