menuconfig

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menuconfig for a 2.6.17-gentoo-r8 Linux-kernel
menuconfig for a 2.6.17-gentoo-r8 Linux-kernel

A shortened form of the command make menuconfig, menuconfig is an ncurses-based target for the Linux kernel Makefile.

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[edit] Explanation

It is intended to be a user-friendly, menu-driven kernel configuration utility, which allows the user to select kernel modules and kernel options/parameters. Menuconfig is an alternative to editing the .config file by hand, although an xconfig target has been added to the kernel Makefile in recent years.

[edit] History

The predecessor to menuconfig is a question-based utility (which can be accessed through make config).

[edit] Advantages over earlier versions

Despite still being a simple component, menuconfig offers considerable advantages to the question-based configuration tool, the most notable being a basic search system and the ability to load and save files with filenames different from '.config'.

It allows for a relatively easy way to configure the kernel, without having resource-heavy requirements such as the X.Org Server. It also requires significantly less patience to use than its predecessor as options and/or sections which do not need to be changed can safely be ignored without having to supply an answer.

When compared to editing the .config-file by hand, menuconfig has the distinct advantages of not needing a text editor and easily getting help on certain items by pressing the ? (question mark) key.

[edit] External links