Re: apparent loss of continuity in kernel .config?

Gene Heskett
2015-01-01T23:43:12Z

On Thursday 01 January 2015, rh_ wrote:
>On Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:16:57 -0500
>
>Gene Heskett <gheskett@wdtv.com> wrote:
>> Greetings;
>>
>> Usually, when I build a new kernel, just placing a copy of an older
>> versions .config in the unpacked src directory is sufficient that
>> only what has been changed has to be answered during a make
>> oldconfig, perhaps a couple dozen new features need to be answered
>> yes or no, and I have a .config that will usually build me a bootable
>> kernel. Not any more.
>>
>> Since my 3.16.0 has been suffering from stalls of up to 2 or 3
>> minutes while both htop and gkrellm continue to report that there is
>> nothing hogging the machine, in a general description that matches
>> the Dave Jone saga, but w/o the log spew, probably because I don't
>> have extreme debugging enabled.
>>
>> But its strange in how it manifests itself as it will do it from a
>> fresh boot, and I get aggravated and reboot, and it doesn't do it
>> till the next reboot which may be a month later. Almost an alternate
>> boot phenomenon.
>> Attempting to go from 3.16.0 to 3.16.7 last night, a make oldconfig
>> started from scratch as if there were no .config's in the directory.
>> I stood on the enter key to take the defaults, then ran a make
>> xconfig to discover it was totally wrong for an AMD phenom, no
>> networking, no disc drivers, video was an old ATI, when there is an
>> nvidia card in it, yadda, yadda.
>>
>> I went thru this exercise 4 times, as I keep a gzipped copy on the
>> config that built the kernel version in the boot directory with my
>> build script. And every time it was the same story.
>>
>> Obviously I can't, at 80 yo, remember every item in a 28k .config
>> file from build to build, so what am I doing wrong that is destroying
>> this continuity?
>>
>> Thanks everybody.
>
>Have you had any replies? I do similar but I may be less patient
>than you. I keep dragging around my previous .config and when it
>no longer works I just stay with the kernel that's working. And try
>again later. It's been interesting to see what new things default
>to "yes" along the way.
>
>I would not call it "loss of continuity", I would call it loss of
>backward compatibility. If the kernel breaks userspace it causes
>a shitstorm but if the kernel breaks the kernel buildspace you're
>supposed to suck it up and make a new .config from scratch.

IMO that is NOT how its supposed to work. So I guess I'll waste a tree
and print a working 3.16.0 & use that to build a new one. I do not
believe it even makes an attempt to read the old one, but simply goes
wandering in the vineyard, making frequent stops to recycle the barrel
sampling.

>> "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
>> soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
>>
>> -Ed Howdershelt (Author)
>> Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
>> US V Castleman, SCOTUS, Mar 2014 is grounds for Impeaching SCOTUS
>
>Since voting machines,SCOTUS and juries have been compromised it
>seems we're down to that last box.

Indeed, but it no doubt will take quite a few boxes. The funny thing lots
of people find hard to believe is that Ed wrote that in about 1940. His
long view obviously started before mine as mine didn't start will late in
'34. It took me till the middle 60's to decide its broken. And every
libtard fix breaks it worse...

Thanks & lets hope 2015 is a better year.

Cheers, Gene Heskett
--
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
US V Castleman, SCOTUS, Mar 2014 is grounds for Impeaching SCOTUS