Compiling modules into the kernel

[OpelBlitz]

During the install when you run 'make menuconfig' you chooose what things you'd like to have integrated into the kernel or what-not -- is it okay to have everything I want to have built-in the kernel as opposed as being modules?

[rac]

Not everything. A couple of things I can think of that won't work unless they are built as modules are PCMCIA and ALSA. We're working on a FAQ entry for this question, BTW. It will be KC7.
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[pilla]

I have pcmcia compiled inside the kernel and I can read my PCMCIA/Flash Card adaptor without problems. Once I had ALSA compiled into the kernel too, and it worked (unless I am missing something here....)

But in some cases you'll want things compiled as modules (I have seen people saying that hotplug works better with modules, the same for PCMCIA and ALSA, although I haven't had problems with these drivers inside the kernel).

[mrchuckles]

It's the next Fox special, "When moderators attack!". hehe

Anyway, I also have never had issues compiling PCMCIA and ALSA directly into the kernel. However, that assumes you're using an ALSA patched kernel and the kernel PCMCIA.

I think what rac was referring to was a standard vanilla kernel (which has no ALSA), and the external PCMCIA suite. In that instance, both things HAVE to be compiled as modules, because they're not part of the kernel source.

The only thing compiling options as modules gives you is flexibility. For example, VMWare didn't like the UHCI USB driver I was using once, so I recompiled my kernel, and compiled both UHCI drivers as modules. I could load them and unload them as necessary to troubleshoot the problem. I can also compile modules for hardware that's not usually connected to my machine, like USB-to-USB data transfer cables, USB NICs, joysticks, etc, etc. I figure, the less stuff I have running 24x7, the less troubles I'll run into. It's basic KISS.

The only standard kernel level driver I remember that HAD to be compiled as a module was the instance of wanting both parallel port ZIP support, and parallel port printer support. You couldn't have both loaded at the same time, so you needed each one compiled as modules, allowing you to load and unload them at will. However, that was with the 2.0 and 2.2 series kernels, and it's been a long time since I've used a parallel port zip drive.

It's also typically a good idea to compile your root and boot partition's file system type into your kernel, as well as your primary drive's controller driver. I think Gentoo also requires you to have devfs support and virtual memory filesystem support compiled in.

[OpelBlitz]

Now that I am sitting here compiling KDE, I cannot exactly remember what I had set as a module and built in.

I compiled with the gentoo sources.

[pjp]

Moved from Installing Gentoo.