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-rw-r--r--documentation/kernel-manual/kernel-concepts.xml110
1 files changed, 49 insertions, 61 deletions
diff --git a/documentation/kernel-manual/kernel-concepts.xml b/documentation/kernel-manual/kernel-concepts.xml
index 9a599f2a8c..27b32098ec 100644
--- a/documentation/kernel-manual/kernel-concepts.xml
+++ b/documentation/kernel-manual/kernel-concepts.xml
@@ -306,75 +306,63 @@
<section id='kernel-configuration'>
<title>Kernel Configuration</title>
<para>
- Kernel configuration, along with kernel features, defines how a kernel image is
- built.
+ Kernel configuration, along with kernel features, defines how a Linux Yocto
+ kernel image is built.
Through configuration settings, you can customize a Linux Yocto kernel to be
specific to particular hardware.
For example, you can specify sound support or networking support.
This section describes basic concepts behind Kernel configuration within the
- Yocto Project.
+ Yocto Project and references you to other areas for specific configuration
+ applications.
</para>
<para>
- WRITER NOTES:
- </para>
-
- <para>
- A package consists of tasks and BitBake, in most cases, behaves by fetching, unpacking,
- patching, configuring, compiling, installing, packaging, writing, and building.
- Configuration is part of the standard BitBake process.
-
- <para>
- Explain how <filename>.config</filename> is used when the kernel image is built.
- Describe the role of <filename>menuconfig</filename> regarding the
- <filename>.config</filename>.
- Locate the <filename>.config</filename> for the user.
- Not recommended to edit the <filename>.config</filename> file directly.
- You can use BitBake to build and invoke the <filename>menuconfig</filename>
- tool.
- </para>
-
- <para>
- Introduce the configuration fragment.
- Step through the life of a configuration fragment from idea or need to
- change something in the kernel to how it is used when the kernel image is built.
- Describe how configuration fragments are created and where they live.
- Make sure the syntax of configuration fragments is understood.
- </para>
-
- <para>
- Talk in general how the user creates a configuration fragment.
- Point to example B.2 of the YP Development Manual as a way to use
- <filename>menuconfig</filename>.
- </para>
-
- <para>
- The tool <filename>menuconfig</filename> allows you to choose the features of the
- Linux Yocto kernel that will be compiled.
- This tool is a convenient method to alter the <filename>.config</filename> file.
- You can use a simple interface to scroll through kernel features and disable
- and enable configruation variables.
- When you save your changes, the contents of the <filename>.config</filename>
- are altered.
- You can get general information on <filename>menuconfig</filename> at
- <ulink url='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menuconfig'></ulink>.
- </para>
-
- <para>
- The Yocto Project employs <filename>menuconfig</filename> by invoking it through
- BitBake as follows after making sure the environment setup script has been sourced:
- <literallayout class='monospaced'>
+ Conceptually, Linux Yocto kernel configuration occurs similarly to that needed for any
+ Linux kernel.
+ The Linux Yocto kernel build process uses a <filename>.config</filename>, which
+ is created through the Linux Kernel Coinfiguration (LKC) tool.
+ You can directly set various configurations in the
+ <filename>.config</filename> file by using the <filename>menuconfig</filename>
+ tool as built by BitBake.
+ You can also affect the configurations in the file by using configuration fragments.
+ <note>
+ It is not recommended that you edit the <filename>.config</filename> file directly.
+ </note>
+ Here is are some brief descriptions of the ways you can affect the
+ <filename>.config</filename> file:
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis>The <filename>menuconfig</filename> Tool:</emphasis>
+ One of many front-ends that allows you to define kernel configurations.
+ Some others are <filename>make config</filename>,
+ <filename>make nconfig</filename>, and <filename>make gconfig</filename>.
+ In the Yocto Project environment, you must use BitBake to build the
+ <filename>menuconfig</filename> tool before you can use it to define
+ configurations:
+ <literallayout class='monospaced'>
$ bitbake linux-yocto -c menuconfig
- </literallayout>
- You can see how <filename>menuconfig</filename> is used to change a simple
- kernel configuration in the
- "<ulink url='http://www.yoctoproject.org/docs/latest/dev-manual/dev-manual.html#changing-the-config-smp-configuration-using-menuconfig'>Changing the&nbsp;&nbsp;<filename>CONFIG_SMP</filename>
- Configuration Using&nbsp;&nbsp;<filename>menuconfig</filename></ulink>" section of
- The Yocto Project Development Manual.
- </para>
-
- <para>
- END WRITER NOTES
+ </literallayout>
+ After the tool is built, you can interact with it normally.
+ You can see how <filename>menuconfig</filename> is used to change a simple
+ kernel configuration in the
+ "<ulink url='http://www.yoctoproject.org/docs/latest/dev-manual/dev-manual.html#changing-the-config-smp-configuration-using-menuconfig'>Changing the&nbsp;&nbsp;<filename>CONFIG_SMP</filename> Configuration Using&nbsp;&nbsp;<filename>menuconfig</filename></ulink>"
+ section of The Yocto Project Development Manual.
+ For general information on <filename>menuconfig</filename>, see
+ <ulink url='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menuconfig'></ulink>.
+ </para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para><emphasis>Configuration Fragments:</emphasis> A file with a
+ list of kernel options just as they would appear syntactically in the
+ <filename>.config</filename> file.
+ Configuration fragments are typically logical groupings and are assembled
+ by the Yocto Project build system to produce input used by the LKC
+ that ultimately generates the <filename>.config</filename> file.</para>
+ <para>The
+ <filename><ulink url='http://www.yoctoproject.org/docs/latest/poky-ref-manual/poky-ref-manual.html#var-KERNEL_FEATURES'>KERNEL_FEATURES</ulink></filename>
+ variable can be used to list configuration fragments.
+ For further discussion on applying configuration fragments, see the
+ "<ulink url='http://www.yoctoproject.org/docs/latest/bsp-guide/bsp-guide.html#linux-kernel-configuration'>Linux Kernel Configuration</ulink>"
+ section in the Yocto Project Board Support Package (BSP) Guide.
+ </para></listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
</para>
</section>