Message-Id: <20061017223257.c646f616.randy.dunlap@oracle.com>
Date:	Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:32:57 -0700
From:	Randy Dunlap <randy.dunlap@...cle.com>
To:	lkml <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Cc:	zippel@...ux-m68k.org, sam@...nborg.org, rob@...dley.net
Subject: [PATCH] kbuild: make*config usage doc.

Is this useful for anyone?

Is anything happening with mini.config or a replacement for it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Randy Dunlap <randy.dunlap@...cle.com>

Create a kconfig user assistance guide, with a few tips and hints
about using menuconfig, xconfig, and gconfig.

Mostly contains user interface and search topics, along with
mini.config/custom.config usage.

Signed-off-by: Randy Dunlap <randy.dunlap@...cle.com>
---
 Documentation/kbuild/00-INDEX         |    2 
 Documentation/kbuild/make-configs.txt |  167 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 README                                |   17 +--
 3 files changed, 175 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

--- linux-2619-rc2-ppc.orig/Documentation/kbuild/00-INDEX
+++ linux-2619-rc2-ppc/Documentation/kbuild/00-INDEX
@@ -4,5 +4,7 @@ kconfig-language.txt
 	- specification of Config Language, the language in Kconfig files
 makefiles.txt
 	- developer information for linux kernel makefiles
+make-configs.txt
+	- usage help for make *config
 modules.txt
 	- how to build modules and to install them
--- /dev/null
+++ linux-2619-rc2-ppc/Documentation/kbuild/make-configs.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+This file contains some assistance for using "make *config".
+
+Use "make help" to list all of the possible configuration targets.
+
+The xconfig ('qconf') and menuconfig ('mconf') programs also
+have embedded help text.  Be sure to check it for navigation,
+search, and other general help text.
+
+======================================================================
+General
+--------------------------------------------------
+
+New kernel releases often introduce new config symbols.  Often more
+important, new kernel releases may rename config symbols.  When
+this happens, using a previously working .config file and running
+"make oldconfig" won't necessarily produce a working new kernel
+for you, so you may find that you need to see what NEW kernel
+symbols have been introduced.
+
+To see a list of new config symbols when using "make oldconfig", use
+
+	cp user/some/old.config .config
+	yes "" | make oldconfig >conf.new
+
+and the config program will list as (NEW) any new symbols that have
+unknown values.  Of course, the .config file is also updated with
+new (default) values, so you can use:
+
+	grep "(NEW)" conf.new
+
+to see the new config symbols or you can 'diff' the previous and
+new .config files to see the differences:
+
+	diff .config.old .config | less
+
+(Yes, we need something better here.)
+
+
+======================================================================
+menuconfig
+--------------------------------------------------
+
+SEARCHING for CONFIG symbols
+
+Searching in menuconfig:
+
+	The Search function searches for kernel configuration symbol
+	names, so you have to know something close to what you are
+	looking for.
+
+	Example:
+		/hotplug
+		This lists all config symbols that contain "hotplug",
+		e.g., HOTPLUG, HOTPLUG_CPU, MEMORY_HOTPLUG.
+
+	For search help, enter / followed TAB-TAB-TAB (to highlight
+	<Help>) and Enter.  This will tell you that you can also use
+	regular expressions (regexes) in the search string, so if you
+	are not interested in MEMORY_HOTPLUG, you could try
+
+		/^hotplug
+
+
+______________________________________________________________________
+Color Themes for 'menuconfig'
+
+It is possible to select different color themes using the variable
+MENUCONFIG_COLOR.  To select a theme use:
+
+	make MENUCONFIG_COLOR=<theme> menuconfig
+
+Available themes are:
+  mono       => selects colors suitable for monochrome displays
+  blackbg    => selects a color scheme with black background
+  classic    => theme with blue background. The classic look
+  bluetitle  => a LCD friendly version of classic. (default)
+
+______________________________________________________________________
+Environment variables in 'menuconfig'
+
+KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG
+--------------------------------------------------
+(partially based on lkml email from/by Rob Landley, re: miniconfig)
+--------------------------------------------------
+The allyesconfig/allmodconfig/allnoconfig/randconfig variants can
+also use the environment variable KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG as a flag or a
+filename that contains config symbols that the user requires to be
+set to a specific value.  If KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG is used without a
+filename, "make *config" checks for a file named
+"all{yes/mod/no/random}.config" (corresponding to the *config command
+that was used) for symbol values that are to be forced.  If this file
+is not found, it checks for a file named "all.config" to contain forced
+values.
+
+This enables you to create "miniature" config (miniconfig) or custom
+config files containing just the config symbols that you are interested
+in.  Then the kernel config system generates the full .config file,
+including dependencies of your miniconfig file, based on the miniconfig
+file.
+
+This 'KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG' file is a config file which contains
+(usually a subset of all) preset config symbols.  These variable
+settings are still subject to normal dependency checks.
+
+Examples:
+	KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=custom-notebook.config make allnoconfig
+or
+	KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=mini.config make allnoconfig
+or
+	make KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=mini.config allnoconfig
+
+These examples will disable most options (allnoconfig) but enable or
+disable the options that are explicitly listed in the specified
+mini-config files.
+
+KCONFIG_NOSILENTUPDATE
+--------------------------------------------------
+If this variable has a non-blank value, it prevents silent kernel
+config udpates (requires explicit updates).
+
+______________________________________________________________________
+menuconfig User Interface Options
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
+LINES and COLUMNS
+--------------------------------------------------
+See the menuconfig embedded help text.
+
+MENUCONFIG_MODE
+--------------------------------------------------
+This mode shows all sub-menus in one large tree.
+
+Example:
+	MENUCONFIG_MODE=single_menu make menuconfig
+
+======================================================================
+xconfig
+--------------------------------------------------
+
+Searching in xconfig:
+
+	The Search function searches for kernel configuration symbol
+	names, so you have to know something close to what you are
+	looking for.
+
+	Example:
+		Ctrl-F hotplug
+	or
+		Menu: File, Search, hotplug
+
+	lists all config symbol entries that contain "hotplug" in
+	the symbol name.  In this Search dialog, you may change the
+	config setting for any of the entries that are not grayed out.
+	You can also enter a different search string without having
+	to return to the main menu.
+
+
+======================================================================
+gconfig
+--------------------------------------------------
+
+Searching in gconfig:
+
+	none (gconfig isn't maintained as well as xconfig or menuconfig);
+	however, gconfig does have a few more viewing choices than
+	xconfig does.
+
+###
--- linux-2619-rc2-ppc.orig/README
+++ linux-2619-rc2-ppc/README
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ DOCUMENTATION:
 
  - The Documentation/DocBook/ subdirectory contains several guides for
    kernel developers and users.  These guides can be rendered in a
-   number of formats:  PostScript (.ps), PDF, and HTML, among others.
-   After installation, "make psdocs", "make pdfdocs", or "make htmldocs"
-   will render the documentation in the requested format.
+   number of formats:  PostScript (.ps), PDF, HTML, & man-pages, among others.
+   After installation, "make psdocs", "make pdfdocs", "make htmldocs",
+   or "make mandocs" will render the documentation in the requested format.
 
 INSTALLING the kernel:
 
@@ -183,14 +183,9 @@ CONFIGURING the kernel:
 	"make randconfig"  Create a ./.config file by setting symbol
 			   values to random values.
 
-   The allyesconfig/allmodconfig/allnoconfig/randconfig variants can
-   also use the environment variable KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG to specify a
-   filename that contains config options that the user requires to be
-   set to a specific value.  If KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=filename is not used,
-   "make *config" checks for a file named "all{yes/mod/no/random}.config"
-   for symbol values that are to be forced.  If this file is not found,
-   it checks for a file named "all.config" to contain forced values.
-   
+   You can find more information on using the Linux kernel config tools
+   in Documentation/kbuild/make-configs.txt.
+
 	NOTES on "make config":
 	- having unnecessary drivers will make the kernel bigger, and can
 	  under some circumstances lead to problems: probing for a



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