make xconfig 'help' pane missing

tobyl · 06-22-2016, 03:08 PM

Hi, my favourite method to choose kernel options when recompiling is

Quote:

kdesu make xconfig

This used to give me a three pane window with the option descriptions. Now (on -current 64bit) I do not see the descriptions. I just get a single pane. I have experimented with the available options, but no joy. Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong?

thanks,
tobyl

Didier Spaier · 06-22-2016, 06:46 PM

Under Help click on the icon showing two vertical parallel lines.

Then move your mouse to the bottom of the right panel. When the cursor becomes a vertical line with top and bottom arrows crossed by two parallel horizontal line, click and drag up.

Also, IMO you could as well become root typing "su" instead of using kdesu, but that's just my choice

bassmadrigal · 06-22-2016, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier

Also, IMO you could as well become root typing "su" instead of using kdesu, but that's just my choice

Depending on the program, this can cause issues with polluting your regular user's home directory with root owned files. I doubt xconfig would do this, but using kdesu while in a DE/WM isn't a bad habit to be in.

Emerson · 06-22-2016, 09:45 PM

There is no need to configure and build kernel as root, only install requires root privileges.

bassmadrigal · 06-22-2016, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

There is no need to configure and build kernel as root, only install requires root privileges.

It depends on where you store your sources and how you extract them. I keep all my kernel sources in /usr/src/, and unless I start changing permissions, it requires root access.

tobyl · 06-23-2016, 01:03 PM

Didier - magic! that did it. I thought I had tried everything but your instructions worked. Thank you.

I use kdesu because it allows graphical applications to run as root when started from the terminal. I know there are other ways, but IMO this is the simplest.

As for running as root, as bassmadrigal says, it depends where you store your kernel sources, and I do the same as him. Cue Linus's 'kernel du jour' quote, but it has never given me any problems and it means I never forget where I put it :-)

tobyl

Emerson · 06-23-2016, 01:08 PM

It is much nicer if /usr/src has root:src ownership and your user is member of src.

bassmadrigal · 06-23-2016, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

It is much nicer if /usr/src has root:src ownership and your user is member of src.

Only if you care about building the kernel as a regular user. I see no need for it, and I don't see a need to create a group just for the occasional time I might build a kernel. I've been building kernels this way for over a decade, so maybe it's just the "old man" in me (I'm only 33, but been doing Linux since the early 2001 and Slackware since 2003) not willing to make a change in my habits.

Emerson · 06-23-2016, 02:02 PM

I'm not saying you are doing it wrong.

I'm a sinner myself. Just not following the golden rule not to switch to root unless absolutely necessary.

bassmadrigal · 06-23-2016, 02:10 PM

If it's any consolation, the author of the kernel building page on Slackware docs (Alien Bob) states that he does it as root.

Building a Linux Kernel from Source

He even gives a specific shout out to the debate on where to build your kernels...

Quote:

There is a debate whether you should build your kernels in the /usr/src tree or somewhere entirely else.
The cause is an old post by Linus Torvalds (from July 2000) where he advises people to build from within their home directory. I believe this advice is irrelevant for Slackware and the way it has it's kernel headers and glibc package setup. So, my advice is to ignore this old post by Linus and install your kernel sources into /usr/src if you want. The kernel building location is purely a matter of personal preference.

But as with most things in Linux, there is rarely just a single right way and a single wrong way. People are free to do it as they wish. Just try and be consistent

Gerard Lally · 06-23-2016, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmadrigal

If it's any consolation, the author of the kernel building page on Slackware docs (Alien Bob) states that he does it as root.

Building a Linux Kernel from Source

He even gives a specific shout out to the debate on where to build your kernels...

But as with most things in Linux, there is rarely just a single right way and a single wrong way. People are free to do it as they wish. Just try and be consistent

In keeping with the principle of least privilege, I've always followed Greg Kroah-Hartman's advice: never build as root.

(The full book is available here).

bassmadrigal · 06-23-2016, 03:02 PM

Haha, well it looks like I go directly against all of his advice.

EDIT: BTW, your second link is butchered with too many url tags.

Gerard Lally · 06-23-2016, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmadrigal

EDIT: BTW, your second link is butchered with too many url tags.

Thanks!

tobyl · 06-23-2016, 04:16 PM

Thanks gezley, that book looks like interesting reading.

tobyl