Re: menuconfig task for kernels

[Martin Jansa <martin.jansa@gmail.com>]

On Mon, Nov 09, 2009 at 10:40:36AM -0500, Michael Smith wrote:
> Przemyslaw Wesolek wrote:
> >>Is this the "right" way to do? If so, maybe menuconfig should be added
> >>as 'after do_configure', instead of 'after do_patch'?
> >
> >Anyone?
> 
> Hi Przemek,
> 
> I find if I'm configuring for a new machine, I need to do_patch,
> copy a "close" defconfig into place, run make menuconfig, and copy
> the .config back to the filesdir where it belongs. The menuconfig
> task doesn't save much, as you still have to copy the defconfigs
> around. I don't use the task for that reason, and maybe others are
> in the same boat.
> 
> I think you're right about the order, though; if you sent a patch, I
> would ack it, for what it's worth.
> 
> Mike
Hi,

From what I checked now in linux.inc, then you're right that
do_menuconfig is called just after do_patch, which seems wrong, because
in do_configure_prepend it prepares few lines to .config (like logo,
*abi, thumb) and then appends defconfig without conflicting lines.

If I need to enable some options temporary then I use
-c configure (for sane .config)
-c menuconfig (for temporary modification)
-c build 

But if you want to use menuconfig for updating defconfig used in OE tree
or default config in kernel (like arch/arm/configs/gta02_defconfig) then
do_configure phase would change some options you didn't want to touch
(as they can be OE specific, ie disabling deprecated sysfs paths for
${UDEV_GE_141}.

So 1st case is easily workarounded by user in current state.

2nd will be a bit more difficult if its moved to after do_configure
as you need to revert all changes automagically introduced in 
do_configure_prepend in menuconfig or replace .config with defconfig
between do_configure and do_menuconfig or just use load ../defconfig
option from menuconfig. (Hmm doesn't look more difficult now :))

Btw: haven't checked but if you use
-c menuconfig (create custom config)
-c build

isn't your custom .config rewritten in do_configure phase with defconfig
+ do_configure_prepend automagic?.

Regards,

-- 
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Jansa Martin                 sip:jamasip@voip.wengo.fr 
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