1 Menuconfig gives the Linux kernel configuration a long needed face
2 lift. Featuring text based color menus and dialogs, it does not
3 require X Windows (however, you need ncurses in order to use it).
4 With this utility you can easily select a kernel option to modify
5 without sifting through 100 other options.
9 Some kernel features may be built directly into the kernel.
10 Some may be made into loadable runtime modules. Some features
11 may be completely removed altogether. There are also certain
12 kernel parameters which are not really features, but must be
13 entered in as decimal or hexadecimal numbers or possibly text.
15 Menu items beginning with [*], <M> or [ ] represent features
16 configured to be built in, modularized or removed respectively.
17 Pointed brackets <> represent module capable features.
20 To change any of these features, highlight it with the cursor
21 keys and press <Y> to build it in, <M> to make it a module or
22 <N> to removed it. You may also press the <Space Bar> to cycle
23 through the available options (ie. Y->N->M->Y).
25 Items beginning with numbers or other text within parenthesis can
26 be changed by highlighting the item and pressing <Enter>. Then
27 enter the new parameter into the dialog box that pops up.
30 Some additional keyboard hints:
34 o Use the Up/Down arrow keys (cursor keys) to highlight the item
35 you wish to change or submenu wish to select and press <Enter>.
36 Submenus are designated by "--->".
38 Shortcut: Press the option's highlighted letter (hotkey).
39 Pressing a hotkey more than once will sequence
40 through all visible items which use that hotkey.
42 You may also use the <PAGE UP> and <PAGE DOWN> keys to scroll
43 unseen options into view.
45 o To exit a menu use the cursor keys to highlight the <Exit> button
48 Shortcut: Press <ESC><ESC> or <E> or <X> if there is no hotkey
49 using those letters. You may press a single <ESC>, but
50 there is a delayed response which you may find annoying.
52 Also, the <TAB> and cursor keys will cycle between <Select>,
55 o To get help with an item, use the cursor keys to highlight <Help>
58 Shortcut: Press <H> or <?>.
61 Radiolists (Choice lists)
63 o Use the cursor keys to select the option you wish to set and press
64 <S> or the <SPACE BAR>.
66 Shortcut: Press the first letter of the option you wish to set then
67 press <S> or <SPACE BAR>.
69 o To see available help for the item, use the cursor keys to highlight
70 <Help> and Press <ENTER>.
72 Shortcut: Press <H> or <?>.
74 Also, the <TAB> and cursor keys will cycle between <Select> and
80 o Enter the requested information and press <ENTER>
81 If you are entering hexadecimal values, it is not necessary to
82 add the '0x' prefix to the entry.
84 o For help, use the <TAB> or cursor keys to highlight the help option
85 and press <ENTER>. You can try <TAB><H> as well.
88 Text Box (Help Window)
90 o Use the cursor keys to scroll up/down/left/right. The VI editor
91 keys h,j,k,l function here as do <SPACE BAR> and <B> for those
92 who are familiar with less and lynx.
94 o Press <E>, <X>, <Enter> or <Esc><Esc> to exit.
99 With the exception of the old style sound configuration,
100 YOUR CHANGES ARE NOT FINAL. You will be given a last chance to
101 confirm them prior to exiting Menuconfig.
103 If Menuconfig quits with an error while saving your configuration,
104 you may look in the file /usr/src/linux/.menuconfig.log for
105 information which may help you determine the cause.
107 Alternate Configuration Files
108 -----------------------------
109 Menuconfig supports the use of alternate configuration files for
110 those who, for various reasons, find it necessary to switch
111 between different kernel configurations.
113 At the end of the main menu you will find two options. One is
114 for saving the current configuration to a file of your choosing.
115 The other option is for loading a previously saved alternate
118 Even if you don't use alternate configuration files, but you
119 find during a Menuconfig session that you have completely messed
120 up your settings, you may use the "Load Alternate..." option to
121 restore your previously saved settings from ".config" without
122 restarting Menuconfig.
126 The windowing utility, lxdialog, will only be rebuilt if your kernel
127 source tree is fresh, or changes are patched into it via a kernel
128 patch or you do 'make mrproper'. If changes to lxdialog are patched
129 in, most likely the rebuild time will be short. You may force a
130 complete rebuild of lxdialog by changing to its directory and doing
133 If you use Menuconfig in an XTERM window make sure you have your
134 $TERM variable set to point to a xterm definition which supports color.
135 Otherwise, Menuconfig will look rather bad. Menuconfig will not
136 display correctly in a RXVT window because rxvt displays only one
137 intensity of color, bright.
139 Menuconfig will display larger menus on screens or xterms which are
140 set to display more than the standard 25 row by 80 column geometry.
141 In order for this to work, the "stty size" command must be able to
142 display the screen's current row and column geometry. I STRONGLY
143 RECOMMEND that you make sure you do NOT have the shell variables
144 LINES and COLUMNS exported into your environment. Some distributions
145 export those variables via /etc/profile. Some ncurses programs can
146 become confused when those variables (LINES & COLUMNS) don't reflect
147 the true screen size.
150 NOTICE: lxdialog requires the ncurses libraries to compile. If you
151 don't already have ncurses you really should get it.
153 The makefile for lxdialog attempts to find your ncurses
154 header file. Although it should find the header for older
155 versions of ncurses, it is probably a good idea to get the
156 latest ncurses anyway.
158 If you have upgraded your ncurses libraries, MAKE SURE you
159 remove the old ncurses header files. If you don't you
160 will most certainly get a segmentation fault.
162 WARNING: It is not recommended that you change any defines in
163 lxdialog's header files. If you have a grayscale display and
164 are brave, you may tinker with color.h to tune the colors to
168 There have been some compatibility problems reported with
169 older versions of bash and sed. I am trying to work these
170 out but it is preferable that you upgrade those utilities.
173 ******** IMPORTANT, OPTIONAL ALTERNATE PERSONALITY AVAILABLE ********
175 If you prefer to have all of the kernel options listed in a single
176 menu, rather than the default multimenu hierarchy, run the menuconfig
177 with MENUCONFIG_MODE environment variable set to single_menu. Example:
179 make menuconfig MENUCONFIG_MODE=single_menu
181 <Enter> will then unroll the appropriate category, or enfold it if it
184 Note that this mode can eventually be a little more CPU expensive
185 (especially with a larger number of unrolled categories) than the
187 *********************************************************************
192 The windowing support utility (lxdialog) is a VERY modified version of
193 the dialog utility by Savio Lam <lam836@cs.cuhk.hk>. Although lxdialog
194 is significantly different from dialog, I have left Savio's copyrights
195 intact. Please DO NOT contact Savio with questions about lxdialog.
196 He will not be able to assist.
198 William Roadcap was the original author of Menuconfig.
199 Michael Elizabeth Chastain <mec@shout.net> is the current maintainer.