From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Tue, 8 Jan 2002 00:34:34 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Tue, 8 Jan 2002 00:34:14 -0500 Received: from [203.143.19.4] ([203.143.19.4]:5387 "EHLO kitul.learn.ac.lk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Tue, 8 Jan 2002 00:34:08 -0500 Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 11:33:33 +0600 From: Anuradha Ratnaweera To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: An alternative kernel configuration system Message-ID: <20020108113333.A8007@lklug.pdn.ac.lk> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org After hearing that Linus likes data to be `distributed' over the kernel tree and config siles `owned' by people (unlike a single Configure.help), I started a simple configuration system for the Linux kernel. I just got a configuration file format worked out which looks more or less like apt package lists on Debian - simple, yet powerful. More than all, it is very readable. It is easy to write tools to parse these configuration files. Here is an example configuration item: symbol: SOUND_OSS depends: SOUND # conflicts: # implied-by: type: tristate menu-item: sound_oss menu-caption: Sound card support # menu-depends: menu-parent: sound description: OSS is the Open Sound System suite of sound card drivers. They make sound programming easier since they provide a common API. Say Y or M here (the module will be called sound.o) if you haven't found a driver for your sound card above, then pick your driver from the list below. include drivers/sound/sb.conf # other OSS sound driver files included here Currently, I am in the process of converting CML1 files in the 2.5.2-pre9 tree to this system and am expecting to get the dependencies from the CML2 system. I also like to have the menus look like the CML1 so that users won't feel a difference at all. The plan is to write C programs (no python ;)) that would read the config symbols and menu items into a balanced binary tree and invoke suitable front ends (tty, curses, X-TCL or X/GTK). More details are available at: http://www.bee.lk/people/anuradha/kernelconf/ No software nor config files are available yet. This mail is just a note to inform that some work is going on. Regards, Anuradha NB: I would like to work on it 24 hrs a day, but my undergrad exams are from 15 to 28 :-( -- Debian GNU/Linux (kernel 2.4.16-xfs) Being overloaded is the sign of a true Debian maintainer. -- JHM on #Debian