Linux Format forums

[RyanF109]

What preparation is required when preparing the Linux Kernel for your distro? How much of it is modified to suit the distros needs?

If there are a lot of changes to be made to the Kernel every time it's released is it not quite tedious making the same changes over and over or does software manage this process?

Edit: I should probably clarify, I refer to "your distro" as if you're making your own.

[Dutch_Master]

Many distro's patch the stock kernel to reflect later additions in drivers (backporting). Most of that is done by script, so wouldn't require a lot of user intervention once set up.

[nelz]

If you're making your own distro, that shouldn't be necessary. Just use the latest kernel sources from kernel.org. If you need to apply patches for your needs, write a script to do it to make sure everything is done each time you add a new kernel.
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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

[johnhudson]

In the context of a distro, the kernel is a tiny component; you have to make a whole series of decisions about what to include and how to bind it together.

Once you have made those, it is easier to decide what you want from the kernel; you may also be able to go hunting on the Internet for a ready-made kernel which someone else has created.