Configuring the 2.6 Linux Kernel

An anonymous reader writes "This article is the first in a series by William von Hagen on using the new Linux 2.6 kernel, with a special emphasis on the primary issues in migrating existing drivers, applications, and embedded Linux deployments to a Linux distribution based on the 2.6 kernel. Bill is the author of Linux Filesystems, Hacking the TiVo, SGML for Dummies, Installing Red Hat Linux 7, and is the coauthor of The Definitive Guide to GCC (with Kurt Wall) and The Mac OS X Power Users Guide (with Brian Profitt)." This looks to be a good series for anyone planning to migrate to Linux 2.6, and having done just that myself, I'll attest to wanting more documentation along the way.

I'll summerize

[Anonymous Coward]

It's like 2.4, only with more options, and some funky X configuration interfaces.

Misinformation

[Gothmolly]

Firstly, s/summerize/summarize/, and secondly, the 'funky X configuration interfaces' you talk about are nothing more than GUI applications which have nothing to do with the kernel.

This recent trend in GUIfication of Linux is troubling, and your post illustrates exactly why. It's the same 'logic' that allowed MS to call Windows an 'Operating System' before it really was. It's the same logic that lusers use when they say that they 'can't get into the Microsoft' when they really mean there's an application problem.

Computers are NOT monolithic, they are NOT black boxes. They are boxes of legos, where you can build what you want, when you want it, and leave out the crap. You have control.

Unless you cede responsibility and control to someone else.

They need a tutorial on this stuff?

[after]

> make menuconfig

I have never compiled my kernel before, and today I jsut compiled the 2.4 version, installed and later compiled 2.6.1 and installed... all without any problems.

Enough rant ;)

I just like the config file method. Does this mean that I can keep my config file (for compiling the kernel) when I upgrade to the next stable? (keeping in mind that I have it customized)

Re:Do it the easy way : Get Manadrake 10-beta2

[Anonymous Coward]

I think that downloading, configuring, and compiling a new kernel (which will take under 20 minutes for most) is a lot easier than downloading an ISO, burning it, and starting over from scratch.

I stick to the "hard" way.

Importance of Documentation

[osewa77]

If more people put up articles like this to make it easier to use the popular open source software products it'd speed up rate of adoption a lot. If there was one on writing kernel modules ... ;-)

Re:Usability?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why don't you just try instead of whoring a +5 for bullshit here..

Re:They need a tutorial on this stuff?

[Guido von Guido]

I think it's useful to run "make oldconfig" to keep me from forgetting to enable important options. For instance, for some reason I always used to forget at least one of the kernel options required for DHCP, so I'd always wind up compiling the kernel for my laptop at least twice.

Re:The Communist-Linux Connection

[drooling-dog]

Have you considered that providing software for free to countries such as China is essentially tacit support for oppressive regimes?

As opposed to, say, Microsoft or Oracle providing the software? And you don't think that the Chinese (or Indians, or Russians, or whatever) have the ability to write software themselves, that programming is somehow a uniquely American talent? If you get your head out of whatever other anatomical place it's parked in, you'd see how silly that is.

One of the advantages of Windows never mentioned in the article is the ability of Microsoft to remotely deactivate Windows XP in the case of a national emergency.

And you wonder why the rest of the world is moving away from it. Whether it's true or not, just making statements like this hurts the U.S. software industry more than anything that Stallman can say.

A known proponent of socialism, the Chinese government and RMS are natural allies.

Well golly, Bubba, it seems that the Bush administration has been getting pretty cozy with the Chinese government, too. If anyone's looking to sell out Taiwan, there's where you want to direct your vitriol. Are you aware that the President's brother, Neil Bush, is getting rich lobbying for China? No, I didn't think so...

Oops... I think I got baited!

Re:Do it the easy way : Get Manadrake 10-beta2

[QuMa]

Who's to say? It hasn't been released yet [xfree86.org].

What eject button?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not everybody has an eject button.
My Mac Cube doesn't even have a hole
for a paperclip.

So yes, the GUI does need to include
a method to cause eject. The installer
needs to eject a disk as well.

Re:Do it the easy way : Get Manadrake 10-beta2

[passthecrackpipe]

If the lack of an (already available) modem applet for KDe is what makes your LUG proclaim "KDE is only for experienced users!" then your LUG is full of idiots. Anybody who falls for the (Sun Microsystems induced) "no options is good, some options is bad/Microsoft's interface choices are all great because they are the defacto standard" mantra that the Gnome crowd have been chanting is totally out of touch with how IT is actually applied in the field, be it at home or at work. I would be happy to learn about the missing key functions in KDE for the (linux) newbie, though. With my regards to your LUG.