Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 15:45:06 -0700 From: Pat Maddox <pergesu@gmail.com> To: FreeBSD Questions <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: How to find needed modules for rebuilding kernel Message-ID: <810a540e0503311445471bff57@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <200504010031.36878.danny@ricin.com> References: <810a540e05033109433254f791@mail.gmail.com> <200504010031.36878.danny@ricin.com>
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Thanks for the info. My terminology is off...apparently what I really meant is I'm wondering what drivers I need to compile into the kernel. I've done what you've suggested - removed SCSI support, all of the NIC drivers besides the one I need, etc. I'm just wondering how I can find out EXACTLY what I need in there, so I can have as little as possible. It's a server, so it has a pretty narrow purpose, and I'd like to keep the kernel as small and fast as I can. On Fri, 1 Apr 2005 00:31:36 +0200, Danny Pansters <danny@ricin.com> wrote: > On Thursday 31 March 2005 19:43, Pat Maddox wrote: > > In rebuilding a kernel, how do you know exactly what modules you need? > > The Handbook is a good start, and a lot of them are obvious (i.e. if > > I have no SCSI disks, disable all SCSI modules). Others aren't so > > easy, particularly serial devices, and the pseudo devices. How can I > > find out exactly what I need to enable, so I can make the kernel as > > tight as possible? > > Modules are not your concern, they get built anyway (or mostly .. not sure but > probably not each and every possible module gets built). The idea is that if > you for example need support for a new soundcard, you can just load the > module (loader.conf) without needing to recompile the kernel. On an IDE/ATA > system I generally turn down the scsi delay (I always do) and remove: > > - all scsi raid cards and support > - all ethernet cards, both pci/isa and usb except the one(s) I have (most can > be loaded as a module also); beware whether it needs mii too > - from the pseudo devices ppp/tun/slip as I'm connected via ethernet (cable) > sometimes I disable ipv6 and gif/faith, sometimes I don't > - all CPUs except the one you actually have (performance!) > > I also remove most scsi support but beware that cdrecord (atapicam) requires > the basic scsi devices, as does umass (camera's, cf fards, usb scanners, ..). > > Generally unless you need to _add_ something to your kernel you don't really > need to stray from GENERIC at all. If you want to have a kernel at least > tuned for your CPU and without a lot of stuff you don't have anyway, do the > above). But depending on the purpose of the box you can strip out quite a > lot. Check NOTES, both in /usr/src/sys/conf and /usr/src/sys/<yourarch>/conf. > (on FreeBSD4 that is LINT). > > Also most if not all drivers and devices have manual pages and from the > synopsis you can see which other devices or options come with them. > > HTH, > > Dan > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" >
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