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On 8 Nov 2009, at 06:55, Dale wrote: |
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>> ... |
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>> I am not you, but I need maybe 5min for a config ;) |
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>> |
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>> and there are more benefits. Smaller binary, more cpu cache free |
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>> for real data. |
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>> Better performance lies that way. Also, you don't have to wonder |
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>> about |
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>> processes you did not start. Security is also a point. A smaller |
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>> codebase in |
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>> use is a saver codebase in use. A lot of bugs only affect kernels |
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>> with certain |
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>> features turned on - it is very relaxing if you don't have that |
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>> feature... |
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> |
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> I agree. When I first installed Gentoo I had never built a kernel or |
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> even run make menuconfig. It took me three tries to get a bootable |
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> kernel but it was worth it. I don't put something in my kernel that |
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> isn't needed or that I use, well except for NTFS support. I may |
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> have to |
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> rescue my brother one day. Point being, you only have to build one |
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> good |
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> kernel then you can copy and run make oldconfig after that. I'm with |
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> Volker on this, 5 minutes at most once you get a good build. If you |
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> know your system really well, you may can start from scratch and |
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> config |
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> one in that time. |
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> |
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> You really need to learn to make your own kernel. ... |
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Whilst I agree in principle that a good (slim?) kernel is better and |
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your comments on that, I am sceptical whether the majority of people |
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have the knowledge to make any significant performance or security |
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improvements. |
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AIUI the kernels shipped by distros like Red Hat, for instance, are |
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configured by the very people that work on and maintain the mainline |
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kernel tree. How can any of us simple end-users compete with that? |
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I imagine it to be very easy for any of us normal people to enable or |
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disable options that make significant performance impact - but we |
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would never know it, because we're not benchtesting it or even |
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qualified to assess proper benchtests. |
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I cannot believe that in a day you could study this subject |
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sufficiently to have any reasonable competence on the matter. And thus |
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if you do spend only a day, that's wasted time. I would add that the |
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kernel is evolving constantly, and in a year's time your knowledge - |
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and your .config - is likely to be at least somewhat outdated. |
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I chose to copy the .config from Knoppix because it's easy to get hold |
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of that, but also because it's selected by someone who knows more than |
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me, and it is likely to work with any hardware I install into my |
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machine or connect by USB. I take Volker's point that a LiveCD .config |
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_could_ be the worst possible choice so I'm open to alternatives, but |
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I hope those who say I should "learn to make your own kernel" |
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appreciate my points over how effectual that will be - sure, I can |
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delete my .config and start again with `make menuconfig` and I can go |
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through every option and read the help, and I'm sure I'll get just as |
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good results as 80% of the people on this list, but I just don't know |
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that that's much of an answer. |
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Stroller. |
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