Grant Coady wrote:

> Keep trying until you 'get' it.**I've*been*where*you're*at*now,
> it does get easier over time.**Once*it*'clicks'*and*you*see*linux
> running as intended and it is much better performer than the
> general distro kernel.**Distro*kernel*sacrifices*performance*so*i t
> gets GNU/Linux onto your hardware, custom kernel gains performance
> at cost of only running properly on targeted hardware.
>
>
> DMA is turned off 'cos system fell back to PIO mode 'cos it been
> told to use wrong driver for your HDD controller.**Linux*very
> forgiving.**Unlike*the*msft*'end-luser*experience'...*)

Thanks for your detailed and competent explanations, Grant! I really
appreciate.

Unfortunately, there seem to be no decent docs around concerning kernel
*configuration* in itself. Tons of docs about installing sources, compiling
and installing, but every single one is rather elliptic about the
configuration process in itself. Which is a pity, somehow. I wouldn't mind
reading a thick book about it, since I'm not lazy for reading docs (with
Slackware, you'd better notD). On the other hand, reading every single
help file on every option in make menuconfig (or, more readable, xconfig)
doesn't seem to get me very far either. Well, later maybe, but in the
beginning, it's rather confusing. I'd really appreciate a related doc that
would explain the items in order of importance ("First, be sure to turn
<...> on/off so as to be able to ..."). Well, maybe this doc exists, and I
just didn't manage to find it?

I understood your .config was a stripped-to-the-bone no-bullshit-config. And
yes, I knew about hardware specificity. I managed to tune it to my
processor and sound card, but was a bit lost as to what to tune it to next.

General idea, correct me if I'm wrong. Take a "stripped-down" .config like
the one I found on your site ("Wheezy Badger", IIRCD), then issue
cat /proc/cpuinfo and /sbin/lspci to check the hardware, and then configure
accordingly.

One other thing. When I tried your .config, I got messages like, for
example, "FATAL: module ps_mouse not found" or something like that. I
checked the .config and saw that PS2 mouse support was compiled statically
into the kernel. So, why does it (it = façon de parlerD) try to load the
module anyway?

Suggestion: when you have a couple minutes left, why not write a sort of
"kernel configuration for the desktop". Nothing very detailed, just a
memento of things to do and not do.

Anyway: thanks!

Niki Kovacs
--
I'm not as think as you stoned I am.