Chapter 9. The Linux Kernel / 9.3. Kernel Configuration | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 9.2. Kernel Sources | 9.4. Kernel Modules |  | |
Chapter 9. The Linux Kernel / 9.3. Kernel Configuration | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2. Kernel Sources | 9.4. Kernel Modules | | |
The configuration of the current kernel is stored in
the file /proc/config.gz. To modify
this configuration, go to the directory /usr/src/linux
as root and
execute the following commands:
zcat /proc/config.gz > .config make oldconfig
The command make oldconfig
uses the file /usr/src/linux/.config as a
template for the current kernel configuration.
Any new options for your current kernel sources are queried.
If the file .config does not exist,
the default configuration included in the kernel sources
is used.
The kernel's configuration options cannot be covered here in
detail. Make use of the numerous help texts available on kernel
configuration. The latest kernel documentation is always in /usr/src/linux/Documentation.
To configure the kernel, change to
/usr/src/linux and enter the command
make config. Choose the features you
want supported by the kernel. Usually, there are two or
three options: Y, N, and
M. M means that this device
should not be compiled directly into the kernel, but loaded as
a module. Drivers needed for booting the system must
be integrated into the kernel with Y.
Press Enter to confirm the default
settings read from the file .config.
Press any other key to view a brief help
text about the respective option.
menuconfig is a more comfortable way to
configure the kernel. If necessary, install
ncurses-devel
with YaST. Start the kernel configuration with the command
make menuconfig.
For minor changes in the configuration, you do not have to go
through all the questions. Instead, use the menu to access
certain sections directly. The default settings are loaded from
the file .config. To load a different
configuration, select
and
enter the filename.
If you installed and configured the X Window System (package
xorg-x11) and the
QT development package (qt3-devel), you can use the command
make xconfig to access a graphical
user interface for the configuration.
If you are not logged in to the X Window System as
root, enter the
command su to obtain a root shell with
access to the display. The default settings are loaded from
the file .config. Because the configuration
with make xconfig
is not as well maintained as the other configuration
possibilities, run the command
make oldconfig
after using this configuration method.
