Simplifying kernel configuration for distro issues
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Dear all,
I usually don't take part of discussions in LKML but I recognized myself in what Linus is actually describing as a "normal user" (one of the few insane enough to read the mailing list...) so I wrote a few ideas below... Please give me your thoughts Š Benjamin
Quoted 5 lines · Linus Torvalds
Your "problem" isn't what any sane person cares about, and isn't what I started the RFC for.
Seriously. NOBODY CARES.
You can do what you want to do *today*. Just edit the config file, or use any of the millions of config tools. Stop whining.
I guess the complexity of configuration in order to build a distro is why I didn't even try to build a distro-specific kernelŠ Moreover the doc is terrible for unfamiliar users...
Quoted 3 lines
The thing I'm asking for is for normal people. Make it easy for people who DO NOT CARE about the config file to just build a kernel for their machine.
If you think about users like me who just want to build a basic featured kernel we always do a make menuconfig with near default options...
What I would expect to build a distro/kernel is to have access in a menuconfig-like to
1) basic features like networking, usb storage, power management ŠetcŠ _enabled by default_ so I can quickly build a "common platform" kernel which gives me everything I need on my laptopŠ and
2) have a menu like "*distro* basic requirements" (never changes and only for a few big distros) and finally
3) have a "*distro* advanced" menu having all the other non-mandatory options available but with a conflict managerŠ (it could check against a full Kconfig file kept up-to-date by each distro groups)
Without necessary talking of menuconfig, I liked very much the structure Linus suggested in the first post regarding Kconfig filesŠ
That maybe some idiotic suggestions but I'd like to know what you think about it anywayŠ
Cheers! B.
Quoted 5 lines
Don't complicate the issue by bringing up some totally unrelated question. Don't derail a useful feature for the 99% because you're not in it.
Linus