General Kernel Configuration: Difference between revisions

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This page helps with the configuration of the Linux kernel. Remember, configuring the kernel is easy - you just have to know which hardware you have quite well.
This page helps with the configuration of the Linux kernel. Remember, configuring the kernel is easy - you just have to know which hardware you have quite well.


== General Information ==
= General Information =


The kernel sources are unpacked in /usr/src (at least on Gentoo).  
The kernel sources are unpacked in /usr/src (at least on Gentoo).  
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  make oldconfig
  make oldconfig


== Hardware Detection ==
= Hardware Detection =


* There is a nice link [http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_Detecting_your_Hardware at the Gentoo wiki.]
* There is a nice link [http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_Detecting_your_Hardware at the Gentoo wiki.]


* Basically, emerge pciutils lshw usbutils, which gives you lspci, lshw, and lsusb.
* Basically, emerge pciutils lshw usbutils, which gives you lspci, lshw, and lsusb.
= Kernel Configuration =


== Choice of the scheduler ==
== Choice of the scheduler ==
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* If Gentoo hangs when starting (when running the clock init script) and you are using the support in Character Devices, change it to use the one in Real Time Clock (which I guess is newer and better).
* If Gentoo hangs when starting (when running the clock init script) and you are using the support in Character Devices, change it to use the one in Real Time Clock (which I guess is newer and better).
== Reading foreign partition tables ==
* Each OS creates its own partition table format when initializing / formatting a disk. You can build support for reading these partition table formats with Linux; it's under File Systems -> Partition Types. Note that I don't really know what partition table format Linux uses.

Revision as of 10:27, 8 January 2009

This page helps with the configuration of the Linux kernel. Remember, configuring the kernel is easy - you just have to know which hardware you have quite well.

General Information

The kernel sources are unpacked in /usr/src (at least on Gentoo).

  • Once you are in the kernel source directory, use the following command to configure graphically your kernel:
make menuconfig
  • When migrating to a new kernel, copy your old .config file from the old kernel directory to the new one and type:
make oldconfig

Hardware Detection

  • Basically, emerge pciutils lshw usbutils, which gives you lspci, lshw, and lsusb.

Kernel Configuration

Choice of the scheduler

  • There is an I/O scheduler in the section Block Layer. This is different from the CPU scheduler. The SD scheduler is a *CPU* scheduler.
  • In vanilla-sources, apparently there is no choice for the CPU scheduler. Same is true for ck-sources (where SD scheduler is mandatory).

Real Time Clock (RTC) support

  • With recent kernels (2.6.25+), there are two areas for this configuration.
    • Device Drivers -> Character Devices
    • Device Drivers -> Real Time Clock
  • If Gentoo hangs when starting (when running the clock init script) and you are using the support in Character Devices, change it to use the one in Real Time Clock (which I guess is newer and better).

Reading foreign partition tables

  • Each OS creates its own partition table format when initializing / formatting a disk. You can build support for reading these partition table formats with Linux; it's under File Systems -> Partition Types. Note that I don't really know what partition table format Linux uses.