Re: looking for xconfig

[Jameson Burt <jameson@mnsinc.com>]

What you look for is not the executable file xconfig.
When you make a new kernel, you use the program "make".
When you use the program "make", it refers to the file "Makefile"
in the current directory.

If you installed the kernel-source package
   hamm/hamm/binary-i386/devel/kernel-source-2.0.34_2.0.34-4.deb
then change directory to /usr/src/kernel-source-2.0.34 and look in that
directory's "Makefile".  
In that file you will see the line
   xconfig: symlinks
This is the "xconfig" you were looking for, and you use it from this directory 
by entering
    make xconfig
For more detail, see README in that directory; specifically, see
  /usr/src/kernel-source-2.0.34/README
or the link to this 
   /usr/src/linux/README

If you make your kernel more than once, the important file you will initially 
create is /usr/src/kernel-source-2.0.34/.config .
If you follow the directions in the README, "make mrproper" destroys the 
.config file.  So, if you do "make mrproper", especially when you compile the 
kernel a second and a third time, you may want to either skip "make mrproper", 
or save a copy of .config.
I save copies of .config through something like
   cp -p .config ../hold-kernel-config-file/.config.2.0.34.old6
I can then either copy those back into the current directory after a "make 
mrproper", or I can compare my created .config with my old .config with
   sdiff ../hold-kernel-config-file/.config.2.0.34.old6  .config

The general order mentioned in the README is
make mrproper
make xconfig
make dep
make clean
make bzImage    #"make zImage" may not accomodate large kernels.
make modules
make modules_install
copy /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage to a name of your choice like 
/boot/vmlinuz-2.0.34-ethernet or /boot/vmlinuz (or /vmlinuz) if you use the 
installed /etc/lilo.conf . This really depends on what your lilo.conf has in 
it.

Then, make any modifications to /etc/lilo.conf you might want, if you retain
your old kernels.
For example, I use the lilo.conf given further below, often adding an extra
set of lines for a new kernel like,
   image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.0.34-ensoniq
      label=2.0.34-ensoniq
      root=/dev/sda2
Afterwards, enter 
   lilo

This is the most dangerous step.
Watch for any errors.
Done wrongly requires you to use emergency boot disks to get going again,
doing arcane things like 
   mount /dev/hdc /mnt
   edit lilo.conf
   lilo -r /mnt

Here is my current lilo.conf

# The following could take one of several forms: this form REWRITES THE MASTER 
BOOT RECORD.
boot=/dev/hdc
verbose=2 
install=/boot/boot.b                       
map=/boot/map             
message=/boot/message 
vga=normal
# on boot, enter tab too see optional kernels
#delay=20                                
timeout=100                            
prompt                                  
compact
# KERNEL IMAGE OPTIONS:                  
# These could be placed under the "image=..." lines below. 
read-only       #mount the root filesystem read-only 
optional        #omit the image if it cannot be found for the map 
#To use ramdisk with the following entry, try   "mke2fs /dev/ram1  8192".
# This is not at all necessary. 
ramdisk=8192                                                              
# Supposedly, the following memory option should use "append" to avoid 
replacing all options if I just used "=".
append="mem=128M"                                                              

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.0.30
   label=2.0.30
   root=/dev/sda2
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.0.33
   label=2.0.33
   root=/dev/sda2
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.0.33-eth
   label=2.0.33-eth
   root=/dev/sda2
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.0.34
   label=2.0.34
   root=/dev/sda2
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.0.34-ensoniq
   label=2.0.34-ensoniq
   root=/dev/sda2


You probably want to use the system's /etc/lilo.conf at first,
because it's very uncomfortable working with emergency disks to repair a bad 
"lilo" command (actually bad lilo.conf file).
However, if you run "lilo" a great deal, keeping some old kernels around can 
be a greater help.
You will probably want to read more about lilo if you are worried.

Keep your wits about you and good luck.
Virtually everyone configures their kernels and runs lilo, so your in good 
Linux company.


> Can someone please tell me which package contains the xconfig program
> (for configuring kernel compile options)? I haved looked everywhere I
> can think of. I even did a grep of the Packages files and found nothing.
> Thanks in advance. 
> 
> -Ben
> 
> 
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