What is the difference between "make modules" and "make modules_install"

Question

I'm currently looking up compiling a custom kernel and I find various guides that first say make modules and then make modules_install in the step when you compile and install the modules while other just do make modules_install.

Could someone enlighten me and explain the difference (I would prefer them explained in newbie language: nothing too detailed, thanks).

Solution 1

The make modules command will just compile the modules, leaving the compiled binaries in the build directory. make modules_install will make sure that there are compiled binaries (and compile the modules, if not) and install the binaries into your kernel's modules directory.

If you are sure that all modules compile without problems, you can use make modules_install directly.

Solution 2

prior to 2.6, you need make modules, while after 2.6, make will also do make modules

Comments

[Spooky]

make modules_install doesn't perform the compilation for me. Is this something which differs between systems?

[not-a-user]

modules_install does not include modules, i.e., nothing is built.