doconfig: What kernel options do I have, and what do I need?

[Bengt Nilsson_2]

Hi!

I have a 4.0F system on a PWS500au that I have not configured myself, and now I need to add another video board for a second screen.
To do this I need to rebuild the kernel, which should not be a problem.
However, the 'doconfig' command asks me what modules I want to include, a fairly long list. I assume it would be safe to Select All, but I also assume this might cause unnecssary performance and/or memory problems. I thik the best would be to keep what I have.

So, How can I list the modules that I already have in the old kernel, expressed in such a way that I can identify them in the 'doconfig' list?

Or is there any other way to do the hardware detection but otherwise stick to the configuration I have?

BN

[Pieter 't Hart]

there should allready be a config file on your system in /sys/conf (uppercase filename)
use "doconfig -c filename" (filename without path).

I think the best way is to :
- put in the new board
- boot the system
- use "sizer -n filename" to create a new config file containing all parameters for the hardware
- "diff" this config with the old one
- if the only change is the new board replace the configfile and "doconfig".
else merge the old config with new modules from the diff-output.

Pieter

[Bengt Nilsson_2]

"sizer -n filename" seems to look into the current kernel, ignoring the new hardware.
Which is an answer to my first question, but not a solution, since I need to add the new devices manually.
If I do "doconfig -c filename-from-sizer", the new hardware is still not added to the kernel, so I am back to where I started.

Maybe I should do a "doconfig" and include all, and then open the config fileand try to identify the new hardware entries.

Conclusion is that I am not very impressed by this way of doing things. Maybe it's too old, I am too ignorant, probably both.

[Pieter 't Hart]

Yes it's old.
I think Tru64 4.0f is more then 10 years old
current(last) is 5.1B.
But still it will autodetect supported hardware (you cannot add any pc-grade video board).
If you add a second board of the same type you should not need to build a new kernel.

I forgot to mention you first boot with genvmunix instead of vmunix.
Then generic kernel has support for all modules the unix version supports.
And sizer will make a config file with only the options used instead of all options.

see "man sizer"

-n filename
Creates a configuration file. The -n option creates a configuration
file in /tmp/filename and a shell script named /tmp/filename.devs that
runs MAKEDEV to create devices such as Lcam. The system should be run-
ning the /genvmunix generic kernel to ensure that all required devices
and options are available. Note that disk and tape device special files
are created using dsfmgr(8).