Merge tag 'linux-kselftest-kunit-6.6-rc2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kerne...
[linux-2.6-block.git] / Documentation / kbuild / kconfig.rst
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1===================
2Kconfig make config
3===================
4
5This file contains some assistance for using `make *config`.
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6
7Use "make help" to list all of the possible configuration targets.
8
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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.
2af238e4 12
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13The gconfig ('gconf') program has limited help text.
14
2af238e4 15General
cd238eff 16-------
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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
cd238eff 25To see a list of new config symbols, use::
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26
27 cp user/some/old.config .config
560909d4 28 make listnewconfig
2af238e4 29
560909d4 30and the config program will list any new symbols, one per line.
2af238e4 31
cd238eff 32Alternatively, you can use the brute force method::
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33
34 make oldconfig
673d29f9 35 scripts/diffconfig .config.old .config | less
2af238e4 36
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37----------------------------------------------------------------------
38
39Environment variables for `*config`
2af238e4 40
98f540d3 41KCONFIG_CONFIG
cd238eff 42--------------
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43This environment variable can be used to specify a default kernel config
44file name to override the default name of ".config".
2af238e4 45
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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
98f540d3 54KCONFIG_OVERWRITECONFIG
cd238eff 55-----------------------
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56If you set KCONFIG_OVERWRITECONFIG in the environment, Kconfig will not
57break symlinks when .config is a symlink to somewhere else.
2af238e4 58
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59KCONFIG_WARN_UNKNOWN_SYMBOLS
60----------------------------
61This environment variable makes Kconfig warn about all unrecognized
62symbols in the config input.
63
64KCONFIG_WERROR
65--------------
66If set, Kconfig treats warnings as errors.
67
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68`CONFIG_`
69---------
70If you set `CONFIG_` in the environment, Kconfig will prefix all symbols
16974326 71with its value when saving the configuration, instead of using the default,
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72`CONFIG_`.
73
74----------------------------------------------------------------------
16974326 75
98f540d3 76Environment variables for '{allyes/allmod/allno/rand}config'
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77
78KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG
cd238eff 79-----------------
2af238e4 80(partially based on lkml email from/by Rob Landley, re: miniconfig)
cd238eff 81
2af238e4 82--------------------------------------------------
cd238eff 83
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84The allyesconfig/allmodconfig/allnoconfig/randconfig variants can also
85use the environment variable KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG as a flag or a filename
86that contains config symbols that the user requires to be set to a
87specific value. If KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG is used without a filename where
cd238eff 88KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG == "" or KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG == "1", `make *config`
5efe241e 89checks for a file named "all{yes/mod/no/def/random}.config"
cd238eff 90(corresponding to the `*config` command that was used) for symbol values
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91that are to be forced. If this file is not found, it checks for a
92file named "all.config" to contain forced values.
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93
94This enables you to create "miniature" config (miniconfig) or custom
95config files containing just the config symbols that you are interested
96in. Then the kernel config system generates the full .config file,
98f540d3 97including symbols of your miniconfig file.
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98
99This 'KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG' file is a config file which contains
100(usually a subset of all) preset config symbols. These variable
101settings are still subject to normal dependency checks.
102
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103Examples::
104
2af238e4 105 KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=custom-notebook.config make allnoconfig
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106
107or::
108
2af238e4 109 KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=mini.config make allnoconfig
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110
111or::
112
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113 make KCONFIG_ALLCONFIG=mini.config allnoconfig
114
115These examples will disable most options (allnoconfig) but enable or
116disable the options that are explicitly listed in the specified
117mini-config files.
118
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119----------------------------------------------------------------------
120
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121Environment variables for 'randconfig'
122
123KCONFIG_SEED
cd238eff 124------------
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125You can set this to the integer value used to seed the RNG, if you want
126to somehow debug the behaviour of the kconfig parser/frontends.
127If not set, the current time will be used.
128
e43956e6 129KCONFIG_PROBABILITY
cd238eff 130-------------------
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131This variable can be used to skew the probabilities. This variable can
132be unset or empty, or set to three different formats:
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133
134 ======================= ================== =====================
e43956e6 135 KCONFIG_PROBABILITY y:n split y:m:n split
cd238eff 136 ======================= ================== =====================
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137 unset or empty 50 : 50 33 : 33 : 34
138 N N : 100-N N/2 : N/2 : 100-N
139 [1] N:M N+M : 100-(N+M) N : M : 100-(N+M)
140 [2] N:M:L N : 100-N M : L : 100-(M+L)
cd238eff 141 ======================= ================== =====================
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142
143where N, M and L are integers (in base 10) in the range [0,100], and so
144that:
cd238eff 145
e43956e6 146 [1] N+M is in the range [0,100]
cd238eff 147
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148 [2] M+L is in the range [0,100]
149
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150Examples::
151
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152 KCONFIG_PROBABILITY=10
153 10% of booleans will be set to 'y', 90% to 'n'
154 5% of tristates will be set to 'y', 5% to 'm', 90% to 'n'
155 KCONFIG_PROBABILITY=15:25
156 40% of booleans will be set to 'y', 60% to 'n'
157 15% of tristates will be set to 'y', 25% to 'm', 60% to 'n'
158 KCONFIG_PROBABILITY=10:15:15
159 10% of booleans will be set to 'y', 90% to 'n'
160 15% of tristates will be set to 'y', 15% to 'm', 70% to 'n'
161
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162----------------------------------------------------------------------
163
911a91c3 164Environment variables for 'syncconfig'
98f540d3 165
2af238e4 166KCONFIG_NOSILENTUPDATE
cd238eff 167----------------------
2af238e4 168If this variable has a non-blank value, it prevents silent kernel
88393161 169config updates (requires explicit updates).
2af238e4 170
2af238e4 171KCONFIG_AUTOCONFIG
cd238eff 172------------------
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173This environment variable can be set to specify the path & name of the
174"auto.conf" file. Its default value is "include/config/auto.conf".
175
176KCONFIG_AUTOHEADER
cd238eff 177------------------
2af238e4 178This environment variable can be set to specify the path & name of the
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179"autoconf.h" (header) file.
180Its default value is "include/generated/autoconf.h".
2af238e4 181
98f540d3 182
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183----------------------------------------------------------------------
184
98f540d3 185menuconfig
cd238eff 186----------
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187
188SEARCHING for CONFIG symbols
189
190Searching in menuconfig:
191
192 The Search function searches for kernel configuration symbol
193 names, so you have to know something close to what you are
194 looking for.
195
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196 Example::
197
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198 /hotplug
199 This lists all config symbols that contain "hotplug",
40b31360 200 e.g., HOTPLUG_CPU, MEMORY_HOTPLUG.
98f540d3 201
452d4c86 202 For search help, enter / followed by TAB-TAB (to highlight
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203 <Help>) and Enter. This will tell you that you can also use
204 regular expressions (regexes) in the search string, so if you
cd238eff 205 are not interested in MEMORY_HOTPLUG, you could try::
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206
207 /^hotplug
208
193b40ae 209 When searching, symbols are sorted thus:
cd238eff 210
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211 - first, exact matches, sorted alphabetically (an exact match
212 is when the search matches the complete symbol name);
213 - then, other matches, sorted alphabetically.
cd238eff 214
193b40ae 215 For example: ^ATH.K matches:
cd238eff 216
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217 ATH5K ATH9K ATH5K_AHB ATH5K_DEBUG [...] ATH6KL ATH6KL_DEBUG
218 [...] ATH9K_AHB ATH9K_BTCOEX_SUPPORT ATH9K_COMMON [...]
cd238eff 219
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220 of which only ATH5K and ATH9K match exactly and so are sorted
221 first (and in alphabetical order), then come all other symbols,
222 sorted in alphabetical order.
223
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224 In this menu, pressing the key in the (#) prefix will jump
225 directly to that location. You will be returned to the current
226 search results after exiting this new menu.
227
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228----------------------------------------------------------------------
229
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230User interface options for 'menuconfig'
231
232MENUCONFIG_COLOR
cd238eff 233----------------
98f540d3 234It is possible to select different color themes using the variable
cd238eff 235MENUCONFIG_COLOR. To select a theme use::
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236
237 make MENUCONFIG_COLOR=<theme> menuconfig
238
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239Available themes are::
240
241 - mono => selects colors suitable for monochrome displays
242 - blackbg => selects a color scheme with black background
243 - classic => theme with blue background. The classic look
244 - bluetitle => a LCD friendly version of classic. (default)
98f540d3 245
2af238e4 246MENUCONFIG_MODE
cd238eff 247---------------
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248This mode shows all sub-menus in one large tree.
249
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250Example::
251
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252 make MENUCONFIG_MODE=single_menu menuconfig
253
cd238eff 254----------------------------------------------------------------------
2af238e4 255
452d4c86 256nconfig
cd238eff 257-------
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258
259nconfig is an alternate text-based configurator. It lists function
260keys across the bottom of the terminal (window) that execute commands.
261You can also just use the corresponding numeric key to execute the
262commands unless you are in a data entry window. E.g., instead of F6
263for Save, you can just press 6.
264
265Use F1 for Global help or F3 for the Short help menu.
266
267Searching in nconfig:
268
269 You can search either in the menu entry "prompt" strings
270 or in the configuration symbols.
271
272 Use / to begin a search through the menu entries. This does
273 not support regular expressions. Use <Down> or <Up> for
274 Next hit and Previous hit, respectively. Use <Esc> to
275 terminate the search mode.
276
277 F8 (SymSearch) searches the configuration symbols for the
278 given string or regular expression (regex).
279
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280 In the SymSearch, pressing the key in the (#) prefix will
281 jump directly to that location. You will be returned to the
282 current search results after exiting this new menu.
283
452d4c86 284NCONFIG_MODE
cd238eff 285------------
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286This mode shows all sub-menus in one large tree.
287
cd238eff 288Example::
16886949 289
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290 make NCONFIG_MODE=single_menu nconfig
291
cd238eff 292----------------------------------------------------------------------
452d4c86 293
2af238e4 294xconfig
cd238eff 295-------
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296
297Searching in xconfig:
298
299 The Search function searches for kernel configuration symbol
300 names, so you have to know something close to what you are
301 looking for.
302
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303 Example::
304
2af238e4 305 Ctrl-F hotplug
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306
307 or::
308
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309 Menu: File, Search, hotplug
310
311 lists all config symbol entries that contain "hotplug" in
312 the symbol name. In this Search dialog, you may change the
313 config setting for any of the entries that are not grayed out.
314 You can also enter a different search string without having
315 to return to the main menu.
316
317
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318----------------------------------------------------------------------
319
2af238e4 320gconfig
cd238eff 321-------
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322
323Searching in gconfig:
324
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325 There is no search command in gconfig. However, gconfig does
326 have several different viewing choices, modes, and options.