Recompiling 2.6 kernel. Looking for tutorial on meaning of all the config options

[smolloy]

I want to rebuild my 2.6 kernel to include some things I should have compiled in last time, and I've been looking around for an explanation of the different options in the ncurses compilation menu so I can make sure I'm choosing the right things.

I found this which is very helpful, but it doesn't go into detail about each of the individual options. I also found many tutorials on the basics of compiling kernels, but this is not quite what I am looking for.

Can someone point me in the direction of a good explanation of each of the options (or at least the main options) in this menu?

[sybvn]

There is a 'Help' button in the menuconfig ncurses based program. Enter there. It will give you some idea about each option of config, sometimes rich information, some times poor. Those information come from files Kconfig found in most Linux source directories.

[borromini]

Most options provide explanations, along with the recommended compilation option (static/module/left out). What you first need to do is collect al the details about your hardware, do some googling on the required linux drivers, make a list of them, and doublecheck your kernel configuration if those drivers will be compiled in.

After kernel compilation make sure you can roll back to your default kernel in your boot menu. That way, if your new kernel fails to boot, you can always revert to the old one and start the process again. But then the booting process will have told you what was missing in the custom kernel, so it will be a lot easier, and you can use the .config of the previous kernel compilation .

[smolloy]

Thanks a lot guys! I'd completely missed the help button , but things are going well now. My first effort crashed and burned, but I'm making progress by adding functionality bit by bit and seeing if the machine will reboot correctly each time.

Thanks again.