1===================
2Kconfig make config
3===================
4
5This file contains some assistance for using `make *config`.
6
7Use "make help" to list all of the possible configuration targets.
8
9The xconfig ('qconf'), menuconfig ('mconf'), and nconfig ('nconf')
10programs also have embedded help text.  Be sure to check that for
11navigation, search, and other general help text.
12
13The gconfig ('gconf') program has limited help text.
14
15General
16-------
17
18New kernel releases often introduce new config symbols.  Often more
19important, new kernel releases may rename config symbols.  When
20this happens, using a previously working .config file and running
21"make oldconfig" won't necessarily produce a working new kernel
22for you, so you may find that you need to see what NEW kernel
23symbols have been introduced.
24
25To see a list of new config symbols, use::
26
27	cp user/some/old.config .config
28	make listnewconfig
29
30and the config program will list any new symbols, one per line.
31
32Alternatively, you can use the brute force method::
33
34	make oldconfig
35	scripts/diffconfig .config.old .config | less
36
37----------------------------------------------------------------------
38
39Environment variables for `*config`
40
41KCONFIG_CONFIG
42--------------
43This environment variable can be used to specify a default kernel config
44file name to override the default name of ".config".
45
46KCONFIG_DEFCONFIG_LIST
47----------------------
48
49This environment variable specifies a list of config files which can be used
50as a base configuration in case the .config does not exist yet. Entries in
51the list are separated with whitespaces to each other, and the first one
52that exists is used.
53
54KCONFIG_OVERWRITECONFIG
55-----------------------
56If you set KCONFIG_OVERWRITECONFIG in the environment, Kconfig will not
57break symlinks when .config is a symlink to somewhere else.
58
59`CONFIG_`
60---------
61If you set `CONFIG_` in the environment, Kconfig will prefix all symbols
62with its value when saving the configuration, instead of using the default,
63`CONFIG_`.
64
65----------------------------------------------------------------------
66
67Environment variables for '{allyes/allmod/allno/rand}config'
68
69KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG
70-----------------
71(partially based on lkml email from/by Rob Landley, re: miniconfig)
72
73--------------------------------------------------
74
75The allyesconfig/allmodconfig/allnoconfig/randconfig variants can also
76use the environment variable KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG as a flag or a filename
77that contains config symbols that the user requires to be set to a
78specific value.  If KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG is used without a filename where
79KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG == "" or KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG == "1", `make *config`
80checks for a file named "all{yes/mod/no/def/random}.config"
81(corresponding to the `*config` command that was used) for symbol values
82that are to be forced.  If this file is not found, it checks for a
83file named "all.config" to contain forced values.
84
85This enables you to create "miniature" config (miniconfig) or custom
86config files containing just the config symbols that you are interested
87in.  Then the kernel config system generates the full .config file,
88including symbols of your miniconfig file.
89
90This 'KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG' file is a config file which contains
91(usually a subset of all) preset config symbols.  These variable
92settings are still subject to normal dependency checks.
93
94Examples::
95
96	KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=custom-notebook.config make allnoconfig
97
98or::
99
100	KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=mini.config make allnoconfig
101
102or::
103
104	make KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=mini.config allnoconfig
105
106These examples will disable most options (allnoconfig) but enable or
107disable the options that are explicitly listed in the specified
108mini-config files.
109
110----------------------------------------------------------------------
111
112Environment variables for 'randconfig'
113
114KCONFIG_SEED
115------------
116You can set this to the integer value used to seed the RNG, if you want
117to somehow debug the behaviour of the kconfig parser/frontends.
118If not set, the current time will be used.
119
120KCONFIG_PROBABILITY
121-------------------
122This variable can be used to skew the probabilities. This variable can
123be unset or empty, or set to three different formats:
124
125    =======================     ==================  =====================
126	KCONFIG_PROBABILITY     y:n split           y:m:n split
127    =======================     ==================  =====================
128	unset or empty          50  : 50            33  : 33  : 34
129	N                        N  : 100-N         N/2 : N/2 : 100-N
130    [1] N:M                     N+M : 100-(N+M)      N  :  M  : 100-(N+M)
131    [2] N:M:L                    N  : 100-N          M  :  L  : 100-(M+L)
132    =======================     ==================  =====================
133
134where N, M and L are integers (in base 10) in the range [0,100], and so
135that:
136
137    [1] N+M is in the range [0,100]
138
139    [2] M+L is in the range [0,100]
140
141Examples::
142
143	KCONFIG_PROBABILITY=10
144		10% of booleans will be set to 'y', 90% to 'n'
145		5% of tristates will be set to 'y', 5% to 'm', 90% to 'n'
146	KCONFIG_PROBABILITY=15:25
147		40% of booleans will be set to 'y', 60% to 'n'
148		15% of tristates will be set to 'y', 25% to 'm', 60% to 'n'
149	KCONFIG_PROBABILITY=10:15:15
150		10% of booleans will be set to 'y', 90% to 'n'
151		15% of tristates will be set to 'y', 15% to 'm', 70% to 'n'
152
153----------------------------------------------------------------------
154
155Environment variables for 'syncconfig'
156
157KCONFIG_NOSILENTUPDATE
158----------------------
159If this variable has a non-blank value, it prevents silent kernel
160config updates (requires explicit updates).
161
162KCONFIG_AUTOCONFIG
163------------------
164This environment variable can be set to specify the path & name of the
165"auto.conf" file.  Its default value is "include/config/auto.conf".
166
167KCONFIG_AUTOHEADER
168------------------
169This environment variable can be set to specify the path & name of the
170"autoconf.h" (header) file.
171Its default value is "include/generated/autoconf.h".
172
173
174----------------------------------------------------------------------
175
176menuconfig
177----------
178
179SEARCHING for CONFIG symbols
180
181Searching in menuconfig:
182
183	The Search function searches for kernel configuration symbol
184	names, so you have to know something close to what you are
185	looking for.
186
187	Example::
188
189		/hotplug
190		This lists all config symbols that contain "hotplug",
191		e.g., HOTPLUG_CPU, MEMORY_HOTPLUG.
192
193	For search help, enter / followed by TAB-TAB (to highlight
194	<Help>) and Enter.  This will tell you that you can also use
195	regular expressions (regexes) in the search string, so if you
196	are not interested in MEMORY_HOTPLUG, you could try::
197
198		/^hotplug
199
200	When searching, symbols are sorted thus:
201
202	  - first, exact matches, sorted alphabetically (an exact match
203	    is when the search matches the complete symbol name);
204	  - then, other matches, sorted alphabetically.
205
206	For example: ^ATH.K matches:
207
208	    ATH5K ATH9K ATH5K_AHB ATH5K_DEBUG [...] ATH6KL ATH6KL_DEBUG
209	    [...] ATH9K_AHB ATH9K_BTCOEX_SUPPORT ATH9K_COMMON [...]
210
211	of which only ATH5K and ATH9K match exactly and so are sorted
212	first (and in alphabetical order), then come all other symbols,
213	sorted in alphabetical order.
214
215----------------------------------------------------------------------
216
217User interface options for 'menuconfig'
218
219MENUCONFIG_COLOR
220----------------
221It is possible to select different color themes using the variable
222MENUCONFIG_COLOR.  To select a theme use::
223
224	make MENUCONFIG_COLOR=<theme> menuconfig
225
226Available themes are::
227
228  - mono       => selects colors suitable for monochrome displays
229  - blackbg    => selects a color scheme with black background
230  - classic    => theme with blue background. The classic look
231  - bluetitle  => a LCD friendly version of classic. (default)
232
233MENUCONFIG_MODE
234---------------
235This mode shows all sub-menus in one large tree.
236
237Example::
238
239	make MENUCONFIG_MODE=single_menu menuconfig
240
241----------------------------------------------------------------------
242
243nconfig
244-------
245
246nconfig is an alternate text-based configurator.  It lists function
247keys across the bottom of the terminal (window) that execute commands.
248You can also just use the corresponding numeric key to execute the
249commands unless you are in a data entry window.  E.g., instead of F6
250for Save, you can just press 6.
251
252Use F1 for Global help or F3 for the Short help menu.
253
254Searching in nconfig:
255
256	You can search either in the menu entry "prompt" strings
257	or in the configuration symbols.
258
259	Use / to begin a search through the menu entries.  This does
260	not support regular expressions.  Use <Down> or <Up> for
261	Next hit and Previous hit, respectively.  Use <Esc> to
262	terminate the search mode.
263
264	F8 (SymSearch) searches the configuration symbols for the
265	given string or regular expression (regex).
266
267NCONFIG_MODE
268------------
269This mode shows all sub-menus in one large tree.
270
271Example::
272
273	make NCONFIG_MODE=single_menu nconfig
274
275----------------------------------------------------------------------
276
277xconfig
278-------
279
280Searching in xconfig:
281
282	The Search function searches for kernel configuration symbol
283	names, so you have to know something close to what you are
284	looking for.
285
286	Example::
287
288		Ctrl-F hotplug
289
290	or::
291
292		Menu: File, Search, hotplug
293
294	lists all config symbol entries that contain "hotplug" in
295	the symbol name.  In this Search dialog, you may change the
296	config setting for any of the entries that are not grayed out.
297	You can also enter a different search string without having
298	to return to the main menu.
299
300
301----------------------------------------------------------------------
302
303gconfig
304-------
305
306Searching in gconfig:
307
308	There is no search command in gconfig.  However, gconfig does
309	have several different viewing choices, modes, and options.
310