An Introduction To Kconfig

Kconfig: The Linux Kernel Configuration System

An Introduction to Kconfig

Kconfig is the configuration system used by the Linux kernel. It allows users to customize the kernel for their specific needs, by enabling or disabling certain features. Kconfig is a powerful tool, but it can also be complex. In this article, we will provide an overview of Kconfig and explain how to use it to configure the Linux kernel.

What is Kconfig?

Kconfig is a text-based configuration system. It consists of a set of configuration files that contain options for the user to select. These options can be enabled or disabled, and they can also be set to specific values. Kconfig is used to configure the Linux kernel, but it can also be used to configure other software.

Kconfig files are organized into sections. Each section contains a set of options that are related to a specific topic. For example, the "General" section contains options that are related to the general operation of the kernel, while the "Networking" section contains options that are related to networking. The root of a Kconfig file is the "menuconfig" file, which contains the top-level options for the kernel. The "menuconfig" file includes the other Kconfig files, which contain the more specific options.