Graham Murray <graham <at> gmurray.org.uk> writes: You have to copy the .config from the running (old) > kernel to the new kernel directory before running make oldconfig. If you > start with the default config, then you have to run make menuconfig (or > config or xconfig) to customise it every time.
Hmmmmm, I thought when you install a new kernel, you just change the symbolic link. example (old kernel linux-2.6.30-gentoo-r4) New kernel (linux-2.6.30-gentoo-r5) cd /usr/src rm linux ls -sf /usr/src/linux-2.6.30-gentoo-r5 linux cd linux make menuconfig At this point the new kernel sources (linux-2.6.30-gentoo-r5) automatically copies over the .config from the version of the kernel you are actually running. If no changes are required, save and build and setup new kennel. If something changes then the .config is modified by 'make menuconfig'. So minor kernel version revisions are trivial, but major kernel revision updated (like 2.6.30.x to 2.6.31.x) require your perusal of the menuconfig choices.....(caveat emptor). Did I miss something? Dirt simple. Here are my steps: from /usr/src/linux: make && make modules_install then cp System.map /boot/System.map-2.6.30-gentoo-r5 cp arch/x86_64/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-2.6.30-gentoo-r5 cp .config /boot/config-2.6.30-gentoo-r5 Edit grub. Keep at least 2 copies of know working kernels around, in case you have to revert or look at something old Or did I miss something. That 'oldconfig' stuffage is not required any more. Or did I miss something? Last, if you are talking about hardware that is fixed (mobo, Hard drive (file systems), video cards(video drivers) etc etc, I always hard compile that into the kernel. I'd add to that mouse and keyboard, cause headaches can occur if those are loadable (others will disagree). But if you swap out usb keyboards quite often, either compile all choices into the kernel or use loadable modules. Stuff like external HD, usb or things that routinely get plugged and unplugged to/from the system, should definitely be loadable modules. imho. hth, James
