Re: [tlug] newly compiled bigger than default RH installed kernel

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

>>>>> "Jean-Christian" == Jean-Christian Imbeault <jean_christian@example.com> writes:

    Jean-Christian> Hum ... found this posting from Alan Cox ... makes
    Jean-Christian> you wonder if recompiling a kernel to get a
    Jean-Christian> smaller one is in fact just a myth?

That depends on how your original kernel was compiled.  Anything I
feel the need for in /etc/modules, I add to the kernel the next time
if I really can't figure out how to get it loaded on-demand.
Everything else is a module, except for rescue CDs.  This is the way
most distros do non-rescue kernels.

However, a lot of people don't realize what a module is and say Y, not
M, to features.  This results in a big hunk of a kernel.  The other
thing that happens is that install/rescue kernels have to have all the
plausible file systems, scsi drivers, etc compiled in (this actually
saves a tiny bit of space for boot floppies, too).  If (like Debian)
the normal install uses the rescue kernel, you end up with a larger
than necessary kernel that emits unnecessary auto-probing warnings.

    Jean-Christian> Alan Cox (alan@example.com) Sat, 6 Apr
    Jean-Christian> 2002 18:53:56 +0100 (BST)

    >> So what is the best way in Linux to figure out what you can
    >> remove from the kernel to make it smaller and boot hopefully
    >> faster on low end machines?

    AC> Say "M" to everything that isnt your root file system or
    AC> directly dependant on it. The whole "build a custom kernel"
    AC> thing is mostly a red herring.

Which is what I just wrote at greater length ;-)

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