diff --git a/fill-disk.sh b/fill-disk.sh
index 93e55f5a979..0687b4e7fb4 100755
--- a/fill-disk.sh
+++ b/fill-disk.sh
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ mount --bind /cdrom/nix /nix
 
 echo probing for hardware...
 
-kudzu
+#kudzu
 
 export NIX_DATA_DIR=$root/nix/share
 export NIX_LOG_DIR=$root/nix/log/nix
@@ -232,11 +232,11 @@ export NIX_STATE_DIR=$root/nix/var/nix
 export NIX_CONF_DIR=$root/nix/etc
 NIX_CMD_PATH=@nix@/bin
 
-echo bringing up networking...
+#echo bringing up networking...
 
-nic=`kudzu -p | grep eth | sort | uniq | cut -d ' ' -f 2`
+#nic=`kudzu -p | grep eth | sort | uniq | cut -d ' ' -f 2`
 
-echo "NIC: $nic"
+#echo "NIC: $nic"
 
 echo initialising Nix DB...
 $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store --init
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ echo "127.0.0.1 localhost" >> $root/etc/hosts
 
 echo storing hardware information...
 
-kudzu -p > $root/etc/sysconfig/hwconf
+#kudzu -p > $root/etc/sysconfig/hwconf
 #cp /etc/modprobe.conf $root/etc/
 
 echo setting up initial account information...
diff --git a/make-disk.sh b/make-disk.sh
index ccca59b28f4..34a1c2b5f33 100755
--- a/make-disk.sh
+++ b/make-disk.sh
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ which=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./pkgs.nix).which' | $NIX_CMD
 gnutar=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./pkgs.nix).gnutar' | $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-instantiate -))
 eject=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./pkgs.nix).eject' | $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-instantiate -))
 sysklogd=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./pkgs.nix).sysklogd' | $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-instantiate -))
-kudzu=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./pkgs.nix).kudzu' | $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-instantiate -))
+#kudzu=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./pkgs.nix).kudzu' | $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-instantiate -))
 
 #(while read storepath; do
    #cp -fa --parents ${storepath} ${archivesDir}
@@ -231,13 +231,17 @@ chmod u+x ${initdir}/ramdisk-login.sh
 cp -fau --parents ${bash}/bin ${initdir}
 cp -fau --parents ${utilLinux}/bin ${initdir}
 chmod -R u+w ${initdir}
+echo utilLinux $utilLinux
 cp -fau --parents ${utilLinux}/sbin ${initdir}
+echo coreutils
 cp -fau --parents ${coreutilsdiet}/bin ${initdir}
 cp -fau --parents ${e2fsprogs}/bin ${initdir}
 chmod -R u+w ${initdir}
+echo e2fsprogs
 cp -fau --parents ${e2fsprogs}/sbin ${initdir}
 cp -fau --parents ${modutils}/bin ${initdir}
 chmod -R u+w ${initdir}
+echo modutils
 cp -fau --parents ${modutils}/sbin ${initdir}
 #cp -fau --parents ${hotplug} ${initdir}
 #cp -fau --parents ${kudzu} ${initdir}
diff --git a/scripts/kernel.nix b/scripts/kernel.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3a799a5ea4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/kernel.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+rec {
+  inherit (import /nixpkgs/trunk/pkgs/system/i686-linux.nix)
+    stdenv kernel ov511;
+
+  everything = [kernel ov511];
+}
diff --git a/scripts/make-kernel.sh b/scripts/make-kernel.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..e3a199fb84a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/make-kernel.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#! /bin/sh -e
+
+archivesDir=$(mktemp -d)
+manifest=${archivesDir}/MANIFEST
+nixpkgs=/nixpkgs/trunk/pkgs
+fill_disk=$archivesDir/scripts/fill-disk.sh
+ramdisk_login=$archivesDir/scripts/ramdisk-login.sh
+storePaths=$archivesDir/mystorepaths
+validatePaths=$archivesDir/validatepaths
+bootiso=/tmp/nixos.iso
+initrd=/tmp/initram.img
+initdir=${archivesDir}/initdir
+initscript=$archivesDir/scripts/init.sh
+
+NIX_CMD_PATH=$(dirname $(which nix-store))
+cpwd=`pwd`
+
+storeExpr=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -qR $($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./kernel.nix).everything' | $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-instantiate -)))
+
+kernel=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./kernel.nix).kernel' | $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-instantiate -))
+
+ov511=$($NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-store -r $(echo '(import ./kernel.nix).ov511' | $NIX_CMD_PATH/nix-instantiate -))
+
+echo $kernel
+echo $ov511
+
+echo making kernel stuff
+
+kernelVersion=$(cd $kernel/lib/modules/; ls -d *)
+mkdir -p $archivesDir/lib/modules/$kernelVersion
+
+echo $kernelVersion
+
+cd $kernel
+
+# make directories
+
+find . -not -path "./lib/modules/$kernelVersion/build*" -type d | xargs -n 1 -i% mkdir -p $archivesDir/%
+
+# link all files
+find . -not -path "./lib/modules/$kernelVersion/build*" -type f | xargs -n 1 -i% ln -s $kernel/% $archivesDir/%
+
+# make directories
+
+cd $ov511
+find . -not -path "./lib/modules/$kernelVersion/build*" -type d | xargs -n 1 -i% mkdir -p $archivesDir/%
+
+# link all files
+find . -not -path "./lib/modules/$kernelVersion/build*" -type f | xargs -n 1 -i% ln -s $kernel/% $archivesDir/%