FreeBSD® Unleashed

Chapter 17. Kernel Configuration

In This Chapter

• The Role of the Kernel

• Why Configure a Custom Kernel

• The Kernel Configuration Files

• Creating a Custom Kernel Configuration File

• Compiling and Installing the Custom Kernel

• Adding Device Nodes to the /dev Directory (if Necessary)

• Recovering if Something Goes Wrong

This chapter covers a topic that's likely to be one of the most intimidating to a newcomer to UNIX: how to configure and rebuild your kernel. This is a task that simply does not happen in the desktop PC world. However, it's a necessary part of life when dealing with an open-source system under constant development, in a world in which new devices constantly demand more functionality from a kernel. Unfortunately, it's not an easy matter to do. ...