This is the Linux kernel menuconfig README file. Menuconfig gives the linux kernel configuration a long needed face lift. It features text based color menus, radiolists and dialogs, but does not require X Windows. With this utility you can easily select a kernel option to modify without having to sift through 100 other options. The windowing support utility (lxdialog) is a VERY modified version of the dialog utility by Savio Lam <lam836@cs.cuhk.hk>. Although lxdialog is significantly different from dialog, I have left Savio's copyrights intact. Please DO NOT contact Savio with questions about lxdialog. He will not be able to assist. Please feel free to send any questions or comments or suggestions to William Roadcap <roadcapw@cfw.com>. Some menuconfig keyboard hints: Menus ---------- o Use the Up/Down arrow keys (cursor keys) to highlight the item or submenu you wish to select. Shortcut: Press the option's highlighted letter. (usually the first) o Use the cursor keys to highlight <Select> and press <ENTER>. Shortcut: Press <Space Bar> or <S> if there's no item beginning with <S>. o To exit a menu use the cursor keys to highlight the <Exit> button and press <ENTER>. Shortcut: Press <Esc> or <E> or <X> if there's no option beginning those letters. Also, the <TAB> key will toggle between <Select>, <Exit> and <Help> o To get help with an item, use the cursor keys to highlight <Help> and Press <ENTER>. Shortcut: Press <H> or <?>. Radiolists (Yes/No/Module) ----------- o Use the cursor keys to select the option you wish to set and press <O> or the <SPACE BAR>. Shortcut: Press the first letter of the option you wish to set then press <O> or <SPACE BAR>. o To see available help for the item, use the cursor keys to highlight <Help> and Press <ENTER>. Shortcut: Press <H> or <?>. Also, the <TAB> key will toggle between <Select> and <Help> Data Entry ----------- o Enter the requested information and press <ENTER> o For help, use the <TAB> key to highlight the help option and press <ENTER>. You can try <TAB><H> as well. Text Box (Help Window) -------- o Use the cursor keys to scroll up/down/left/right. o Press <E>, <X>, <Enter> or <Esc> to exit. Final Acceptance ---------------- With the exception of sound configuration, YOUR CHANGES ARE NOT FINAL. You will be given a last chance to confirm them prior to exiting menuconfig. Other information: Menuconfig attempts to reduce the amount of time it takes to reconfigure the kernel. Menuconfig keeps a cache of it's compiled configuration scripts in /usr/src/linux/.menuconfig.in. This file will only be rebuilt if you do a 'make mrproper' or if the kernel version changes. If you make manual changes to any of the config.in files in the kernel source tree, you must remove .menuconfig.in so that menuconfig will know to rebuild it. The windowing utility, lxdialog, will only be rebuilt if your kernel source tree is fresh, or changes are patched into it via a kernel patch or you do 'make mrproper'. If changes to lxdialog are patched in, most likely the rebuild time will be short. You may force a complete rebuild of lxdialog by changing to it's directory and doing 'make clean all' NOTICE: lxdialog requires the ncurses libraries to compile. If you don't already have ncurses you really should get it. The makefile for lxdialog attempts to find your ncurses header file. Although it should find the header for older versions of ncurses, it is probably a good idea to get the latest ncurses anyway. WARNING: It is not recommended that you change any defines in lxdialog's header files.