Shawn wrote: >Kernel compiling now with the "make dep" command... Just out of >curiosity, if there's a .config file in the /usr/src/linux directory >anything that is either enabled or loaded as a module will be checked >the next time I recompile the kernel? The .config file will determine what options are used if "make menuconfig" or "make xconfig" are not run to change them (or .config is not modified by an editor). >Or, when I do the "make mrproper" will that negate those choices? "make mrproper" will delete .config and the .config will be copied from /usr/src/<linux-version>/arch/<arch>/defconfig when one next builds a kernel. >Also, which is better: A kernel with loadable modules, or a kernel >with as few of modules as possible but kernel subsets enabled for >specific devices? I'm thinking it's the second one, but am unsure. A kernel with everything possible being a loadable module is best. The root filesystem must be statically compiled into the kernel unless an initrd (/ filesystem in RAM) is loaded for the kernel so it can load all modules needed prior mounting the real / (on the hard drive) filesystem. If an initrd is included, many parts of the kernel that would normally be statically linked can be built as a loadable module. For example, the reiserfs is very large so it is very nice to have it be a loadable module. You can have a reiserfs root and reiserfs module, but only if an initrd is included (the initrd is typically either cramfs or ext2). Having an LVM root is only possible via an initrd, since the userland programs must be run before an LVM logical volume can be activated. Even without an initrd, almost anything that can be loaded as a module will work fine that way. The biggest exception is the filesystem that is used for / must be statically linked to the kernel (as mentioned above). >Thanks for the information everyone. You'd think this P-166 w/128 MB >ram could recompile the kernel faster.... =P It might take a few hours. Sincerely, Ken Fuchs <kfuchs at winternet.com> _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list