Re: [gentoo-user] gentoo-sources menuconfig feature/weirdness

[Dale]

ny6p01@×××××.com wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 11:02:38PM +0000, Neil Bothwick wrote:
>> On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:11:24 -0800, ny6p01@×××××.com wrote:
>>
>>> Or just import .config into the 'New' directory, and run plain ol' make
>>> menuconfig. Menuconfig will import what it can from the old config. From
>>> what I've read of the docs, make oldconfig is the dangerous part that
>>> should be avoided between substantial kernel updates.
>>
>> make oldconfig is not the risk, importing the old config is. oldconfig
>> tries to convert the old config to suit the new kernel, with a success
>> rate probably in excess of 99%, despite what has been written about it.
>>
>> Using the old .config without make oldconfig is a good way of getting
>> the worst of both worlds.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Neil Bothwick
>>
>> Windows Error #56: Operator fell asleep while waiting.
>
>
> I don't mean to be petty, so forgive me - but I needed to check to see if
> I'd misread the kernel upgrade guide. So I went back and checked the guide,
> and I was confirmed in my impression. From the guide:
>
> #Start Quotes
> It is sometimes possible to save time by re-using the configuration file
> from your old kernel when configuring the new one. Note that this is
> generally unsafe -- too many changes between every kernel release for this
> to be a reliable upgrade path.
>
> The only situation where this is appropriate is when upgrading from one
> Gentoo kernel revision to another. For example, the changes made between
> gentoo-sources-2.6.9-r1 and gentoo-sources-2.6.9-r2 will be very small, so
> it is usually OK to use the following method. However, it is not appropriate
> to use it in the example used throughout this document: upgrading from 2.6.8
> to 2.6.9. Too many changes between the official releases, and the method
> described below does not display enough context to the user, often resulting
> in the user running into problems because they disabled options that they
> really didn't want to.
>
> To reuse your old .config, you simply need to copy it over and then run make
> oldconfig. In the following example, we take the configuration from
> gentoo-sources-2.6.9-r1 and import it into gentoo-sources-2.6.9-r2.
>
> A much safer upgrading method is to copy your config as previously shown,
> and then simply run make menuconfig. This avoids the problems of make
> oldconfig mentioned previously, as make menuconfig will load up your
> previous configuration as much as possible into the menu. Now all you have
> to do is go through each option and look for new sections, removals, and so
> on. By using menuconfig, you gain context for all the new changes, and can
> easily view the new choices and review help screens much easier. You can
> even use this for upgrades such as 2.6.8 to 2.6.9; just make sure you read
> through the options carefully. Once you've finished, compile and install
> your kernel as normal.
>
> #End Quotes
>
>
> Terry
>
>


That is true BUT the docs are for 100% certainty.  Well, 99% at least.
They almost always have the safest way to do anything but not
necessarily the most used way.  There are lots of things I do
differently from the docs and my system generally works fine, except for
the little roaches that scurry about from time to time.

If you want a drop dead, almost as sure as the Sun comes up in the East
approach, go by the docs.  If you want to save some time for most
general usage, do it the way us goofy geeks do it.  Some of us know some
neat shortcuts.

Dale

:-)  :-)

-- 
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