[solved] kernel .config reuse and new items not showed

[jormartr]

Hello, I am reusing kernel configuration between versions, and when doing so there are items on the kernel configuration that does not appear on newer versions.

The only way I know to make them appear is by not reusing my old .config file.

For example, on 2.6.24 kernel I have discovered the "Paravirtualized guest support" by starting a new clean make menuconfig, and it does not appear if I load an old config.

Is there any way to not loose my custom configs but also being able to see the new items on every kernel version?

Thanks

[electronvolt]

if you copy your old .config to the new source directory, and then do

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make oldconfig

it will generate a new .config based on the previous one. It will prompt to set any additional options that have been introduced in the new kernel source.

you can then do

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make menuconfig

to fine tune your new kernel and all the available options should be available to you

HTH

[jormartr]

Man thank you, this is really a help to me.

[jormartr]

Once again I lost new settings. I did exactly this:

copied the old config to /usr/src/linux/.config
on that path executed make oldconfig
moved the adapted /usr/src/linux/.config file to my configs folder
executed genkernel all --menuconfig --kernel-config=/path_to_file/new_config_name, being that configuration file the old adapted,

and these options did not appear.

Am I doing something else wrong?

[electronvolt]

moved the adapted /usr/src/linux/.config file to my configs folder

you don't need to move the .config. It needs to be in /usr/src/linux for the kernel to compile correctly and for make menuconfig to use it. I see you are using genkernel, doesn't that copy the .config to /etc/kernels anyway? You shouldn't need to move it anywhere.
Bottom line....leave the .config file in /usr/src/linux and all should be well.

HTH

/edit

as you use genkernel you can edit the /etc/genkernel.conf file to do a make oldconfig, and then do a make menuconfig automatically when you run genkernel.

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# =========Common Command Line Option Defaults=========

# Run 'make oldconfig' before compiling this kernel?
# If set to "yes", also suppresses the fetch of the kernel .config file from
# /etc/kernels, thus preserving the .config file in /usr/src/linux.
OLDCONFIG="YES"

# Run 'make menuconfig' before compiling this kernel?
MENUCONFIG="YES"

I don't actually use genkernel, but there are other settings in the genkernel.conf files that you may want to check. The file seems to have good explanations for each variable in the comments.

[richard.scott]

the easy way is to copy your old config file in /etc/kernels to the new file i.e.

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# cd /etc/kernels/
# cp kernel-config-x86-2.6.23-gentoo-r9 kernel-config-x86-2.6.24-hardened-r1

As long as your /usr/src/linux symlink points to the newly emerged 2.6.24-r1 kernel like this:

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# ls -al /usr/src/linux
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root   24 May 11 11:02 linux -> linux-2.6.24-hardened-r1

Your ready for the new kernel build and all you needto do now is:

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# genkernel --menuconfig all

and you can then configure your new menu.

Be aware tho that the menu structure in a 2.6.24 kernel is different to a 2.6.23 kernel, so things won't be where you think they should be.

use the / key to search when in the menu system.

HTH

Richard.

[jormartr]

Ok guys, now it worked ok, I'm glad to have this great help.