Re: [gentoo-user] Testing new kernels - saving dumps / strip down kernel options

[Stroller <stroller@stellar.eclipse.co.uk>]

On 8 January 2013, at 12:14, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> …
> * I remember a thread here where this was discussed already:
> 
> How do you guys get to your .config for a recent kernel? "make
> oldconfig" doesn't always work out best, I recall?
> 
> My kernel config is maintained along for years now and has survived
> several hardware changes. I don't have any obvious problems but I wonder
> if I have something in there that is deprecated and might be better
> thrown out.
> 
> Does it make sense to take the .config from the gentoo install dvd for
> example and remove all the stuff I don't have?

I most always take the .config from a recent systemrescuecd and it has always worked well for me.

I change "processor type and features" and disable the initrd. 

There may be some stuff on a LiveCD based distro which is optimised for running off an optical disk, so I guess a RedHat or Ubuntu default .config might be better.

These should provide everything you need to boot, and most everything else as modules, which will be automatically loaded. IMO this is pretty much optimal.

The engineers at RedHat and Ubuntu know a heck of a lot more about kernels than I do. One might be able to make one's kernel milliseconds more efficient by tuning it by hand, but it will surely take hours of tinkering to attain that.

I do not believe you can properly understand the consequences of any given kernel option merely by reading the one- or two-line description in makeconfig's help. To *properly* customise a kernel for oneself will take more research than that, I reckon.

Stroller.