Re: compiling kernel: does 'make depend' have its dependencies right?

["Markus Illenseer" <markus%tiger.teuto.de@localhost>]

Jim Shaffer wrote:
> I've noticed that whenever I try to recompile a kernel, no matter how
> small the option I change, I end up waiting half an hour while 'make
> depend' compiles a couple of screens full of files.  Is this really
> necessary, or is it just recompiling everything in sight?  When it comes
> down to the actual 'make netbsd', it only recompiles files that were
> affected by my changes.

 Unless you are adding new files to the kernel-tree you only need to make
"depend" the very first time you create a new kernel.  This is, config
KERNELFILE.

> Also, in one version I turned on Sun3 compatibility.  Later, in an
> effort to make a smaller kernel, I turned it off -- only to have ld
> complain about references to some missing module related to Sun3.
> Clearly, something is not right here.

 Cannot verify right now.

> Finally, what must be set to make the kernel boot?  There's an option
> named INSTALL or something similar whose comment says something about
> miniroot booting.  Since I haven't needed to boot from the miniroot
> filesystem since I got the full system installed, I took it out.  My new
> kernel would freeze with no error messages after the 'views configured'
> message.  When I put the option back in, the kernel worked.

 I guess you want to start this kernel.  If you made sever changes in the
kernel file, and copying the kernel to /dev/reload doesn't give but a black
screen, you need to restart the Amiga and use "loadbsd".

 Otherwise you made something wrong and your root-partition is not
recognized if the kernel stops after the "views installed" messages.

> Are any of the config file options documented anywhere at all besides in
> the comments in the file itself?  One half of a line doesn't seem
> adequate for some of them!

 No.  Go ahead, ask us, and comment the files, then submit a fine
documented file.  Thank you!

-- 
Markus Illenseer