make config and .config file

[Adam Hardy <adam.ant@cyberspaceroad.com>]

What's the situation with the .config file when recompiling the kernel?

I am running 2.6.12 and it took me a few attempts to get that config 
right, which I stupidly didn't document.

Now I want to upgrade to 2.6.16 and I am not sure whether I can use the 
old .config file from my /usr/src/linux-2.6.12 dir.

Will using an old .config from 2.6.12 override some new defaults that 
may have appeared in 2.6.16?

I'm unsure of the mechanism used by the make xconfig or menuconfig step.


Thanks
Adam