Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Those who custom configure their kernel: what did you gain? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

56 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Curious to know the coolest things you achieved by configuring your kernel. I know kernel config can be boring, but I'm hoping someone will have an impressive answer.

For me I have a very lightweight kernel that runs wayland on nvidia without any issues to date.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Does that have any appreciable difference in day to day computing?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Compiling kernels makes no sense anymore.

Back in the days - Linux versions 2 and below - the kernel was much less modular, and resources wasn't as plentiful. So it often made sense to build kernels with the stuff you needed statically compiled for speed, and the rest left out fo save memory and shorten boot time. Not to mention, Lilo (the thing we used before Grub) had limitations with respect to kernel size.

Nowadays, Grub can load a kernel of any size from anywhere on the disk. There's plenty enough memory and CPU to leave the kernel core slightly bloated with stuff almost nobody needs with zero practical impact on boot time and memory usage, and most everything else is compiled as modules and loaded as needed - again with next to no boot time or running speed impact.

If you custom-build a kernel today, you'll boot a tiny bit faster and it'll run a tiny bit faster, and you'll have a tiny bit more free memory - all of which you will never notice. What you will notice however is that kernel updates are a PITA on a regular basis.

[–] taladar 3 points 8 months ago

Kernel updates are extremely easy when custom compiling, not sure what you are doing to make them a pain. Custom compiling is a great way to sort of passively absorb knowledge about kernel changes and new features or features you didn't know about as they change and make oldconfig brings up questions about them.