Re: [gentoo-user] Using an old kernel .config as the basis for a new .config

[Jack <ostroffjh@users.sourceforge.net>]

On 2017.12.28 14:52, Alan Mackenzie wrote:
> Hello, Gentoo.
> 
> Having just built linux-4.14.7-gentoo, suddenly a new version of the  
> kernel, linux-4.14.8-gentoo-r1 has become stable.  Configuring a  
> kernel from scratch is a repetitive drudge.
> 
> There is some way of initialising a new kernel .config from an  
> existing one, I am sure, but I can't find it.  I've looked at the  
> Gentoo wiki, I've looked at (some of) the kernel's own  
> documentation.  The nearest I can find is make oldconfig, which  
> supposedly does what I want, but it just seems to start off with a  
> default .config and go through the hundreds of questions one at a  
> time.
> 
> So, would some kind soul please tell me how to get my old .config  
> into a new one properly.  Thanks!

You need to copy your old .config into the new kernel source  
directory.  "make oldconfig" then uses those values, and only asks you  
about new items.  It sounds like it was asking about everything because  
it didn't have the old file as a starting point - so was starting from  
scratch.

Jack