After this patch, one can give the script a list of configuration
options that are to be changed, and it will scroll all other options.
This is done using the new "-c" switch. For example:
$ scripts/Configure arch/i386/config.in -c binfmt_elf config_ftape
will use the existing configuration, except for the CONFIG_BINFMT_ELF
and CONFIG_FTAPE options, which it will prompt for interactively. (The
options listed are converted to uppercase, and the CONFIG_ part is
optional.) Unfortunately, when running the Configure script from
outside a Makefile, it can have trouble trying to run the sound
configuration program. You must set up the environment the same way
the Makefile would. (It's not an issue if CONFIG_SOUND is off.)
Also, one can use the new "-n" switch to use the existing
configuration, but ask interactively about anything that the current
configuration doesn't cover. I add a new Makefile target "newconfig"
to use this. If there is no .config file, newconfig acts the same as
config, but if you copy the .config from the source tree of your
previous kernel version then it will only ask you about things that are
new in this version.
Finally, I fixed a pet peeve of mine, that the Configure script
required bash. Now it works under any sh. (I tried ash, pdksh and
bash, and zsh would work if invoked as sh or ksh or if it is given the
-y switch.)
Comments are welcomed...
-zefram