View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
Antikapitalista n00b
Joined: 18 Apr 2011 Posts: 25
|
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 7:04 pm Post subject: Re: Is a custom kernel really worth it? |
|
|
hjkl wrote: | I keep on wanting to start making my custom kernel but I just don't/can't be bothered to make one.
I have all the time in the world currently but I just don't want to?
For now I'm using a slighly edited -bin .config (a bit of stuff taken out) which is okay for me but I want to also squeeze out that extra bit of performance. |
It is not only about performance; in my opinion, it is mostly about the features that you can have.
For example, I start with linux-tkg-sources from the gentoo-zh overlay, then patch it with better colours for menuconfig, reiser4 v5, aufs v5, scrollback (because ripping it out was probably the stupidest thing that Linus Benedict Torvalds had ever done), etc.
When you are done, having tweaked everything to your liking, you will have your best kernel possible. _________________ On a warpath against the North Atlantic Terrorist Organization. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
alamahant Advocate
Joined: 23 Mar 2019 Posts: 3879
|
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 7:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I also need to learm make menuconfig.
Up until now i just copy an arch config in the gentoo-sources do slight modifications and build a big kernel.
Actually I am not in the mood to reboot or kernel-panic my machine a thousand times before i get something the way i want.
So for me what i need is FULL functionality for MY hardware.
I wish there was a script to separate functionality and hardware.
Then i could use something like make localmodconfig together with adding ALL functionality.
Is this possible somehow?
I saw this but its lacking
https://github.com/gg7/gentoo-kernel-guide _________________
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
figueroa Advocate
Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 2963 Location: Edge of marsh USA
|
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 12:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
Once when I had upgraded my motherboard and had trouble getting a bootable kernel, pappy_mcfae, his seed kernels and his personal help in the forum, were invaluable in getting me over the hump. Sometimes, one just needs a hand.
These resources are still found in the Unsupported Software forum as sticky topics, https://forums.gentoo.org/viewforum-f-51.html, and the links therein. _________________ Andy Figueroa
hp pavilion hpe h8-1260t/2AB5; spinning rust x3
i7-2600 @ 3.40GHz; 16 gb; Radeon HD 7570
amd64/23.0/split-usr/desktop (stable), OpenRC, -systemd -pulseaudio -uefi |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Goverp Advocate
Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 2008
|
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 8:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
A possible performance gain from a custom kernel: my laptop won't hibernate, though it will sleep. I spent some time debugging hibernate, to discover that amdgpu just won't, so I turned off hibernate support with "make nconfig". The subsequent "make" hit about every bit of source, so it's possible it removed a significant amount of "am I about to hibernate" tests; it's equally possible it's just a flag in a header file that's embedded everywhere that has no effect. Really I ought to benchmark, but I can't be bothered!
Another possible gain is LTO on a non-modular kernel. I note the LTO-lite runs for the kernel itself (about 20 seconds for me) and for each module. Presumably running LTO on a module has little gain as the module is stand-alone code so there's nothing else linked in, but when those modules become part of the kernel, there's much more chance of globally optimizing something. Not that I've benchmarked or noticed any subjective performance improvement, but that's not what ricing is all about _________________ Greybeard |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Hund Apprentice
Joined: 18 Jul 2016 Posts: 218 Location: Sweden
|
Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2021 6:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I used to rock my own custom kernel, but got tired of spending hours upon hours updating my kernel configuration. I'm now using the `gentoo-kernel-bin` package.
It can be fun, but it's not worth the excessive time it takes maintaing it. I work full time and I have a family to take care of. :) _________________ Collect memories, not things. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bammbamm808 Guru
Joined: 08 Dec 2002 Posts: 548 Location: Hawaii
|
Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hund wrote: | I used to rock my own custom kernel, but got tired of spending hours upon hours updating my kernel configuration. I'm now using the `gentoo-kernel-bin` package.
It can be fun, but it's not worth the excessive time it takes maintaing it. I work full time and I have a family to take care of. :) |
"Excessive time"? 'make oldconfig' and just a few minutes. 'make' with -jx, and then 'make modules_install' and 'make install'. Very quick and easy. _________________ MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk
Ryzen 3900x
32Gb Samsung B-die (16GB dual rank x2) DDR4 @ 3200MHz, cl14
Geforce RTX 2070S 8GB
Samsung m.2 NVME pcie-3.0
Etc.... |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Hund Apprentice
Joined: 18 Jul 2016 Posts: 218 Location: Sweden
|
Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2021 5:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
bammbamm808 wrote: | Hund wrote: | I used to rock my own custom kernel, but got tired of spending hours upon hours updating my kernel configuration. I'm now using the `gentoo-kernel-bin` package.
It can be fun, but it's not worth the excessive time it takes maintaing it. I work full time and I have a family to take care of. :) |
"Excessive time"? 'make oldconfig' and just a few minutes. 'make' with -jx, and then 'make modules_install' and 'make install'. Very quick and easy. |
It took me a long time going through every new setting, looking it up, trying to figure it out what it is and if I want it or not. And then there's the work with carefully disabling all new drivers that I don't need.
I'm unfortunately not some kind of über geek that knows every bit of data about the kernel and it's features. Looking up new features takes time.
The compilation was quick though. That takes me just 10 minutes on my more than decade old computer. _________________ Collect memories, not things. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
NeddySeagoon Administrator
Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 54244 Location: 56N 3W
|
Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2021 9:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hund,
It only take about 20 min to do in a new kernel tree every six or eight weeks or so. Unless you skip a few kernel versions.
For me, its the only way to drop things I don't need with a zero autoblackmagic install. It need not be right first time either.
I prune things I don't need over many kernel updates.
It take a few hours for a new install but I don't that very often. _________________ Regards,
NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
JustAnother Apprentice
Joined: 23 Sep 2016 Posts: 186
|
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2021 3:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
I can throw in three little lessons I think I learned.
1: Use a history space to work on the kernel. That is, a bash history file that is only used to noodle around with the kernel. This makes your commands easily searchable. This helps a bit.
How to do this? I wrote a history space script, but it is non-trivial, and bash lacks the right hooks to do this simply. Sad but true.
2: WRONG assumption: if I know I have certain hardware on the computer, make all those drivers built-ins, and the kernel will magically be self-contained when tossed into memory.
Nothing but problems. Use modules for almost everything if you can, within reason. Builtin-ins get called during initcall, and some may let you supply driver options on the kernel cmdline, and some may let you reset parameters using /sys, but it is better to be able to unload and reload a module. Also, apparently initcall can miss out on the ability to load firmware (wifi...) which would be loaded when a module is loaded.
3: Back up them .config files, and salient /boot files. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|