In gentoo it is rather mandatory, so kernel compilation it is...

Q: do-you-compile-your-own-kernel-or-use-the-one-shipped-with-your-distribution?

Since getting into Linux for personal use, I have never had the desire
--ever-- to compile the O.S. or any significant parts of the system.

I have been using Linux exclusively since since about 2006
when Libre Office (formerly Open Office) tools finally crossed a
usability threshold above the Microsoft XP equivalents of that era.
My first Linux was in the 1995(?) era when Red Hat and a bunch of
long forgotten distros came onto my radar screen sans useful (mostly)
bug-free applications.

I have been using computers since a first punch card Fortran II
course as a high school senior in NJ circa 1965-1966 in an after
hours AP Math course using an IBM 1400 series card input/tape
compiler mainframe at a local pharmaceutical / chemicals company.
IBM BAL, Fortran Cobol and PL/I helped pay college bills for a
1970 BS Physics from the University of Rochester.

Carl Helmers, original editor & co owner of BYTE Magazine, 1975-1980,
founder and owner of three subsequent high tech specialized dead tree
magazines 1980-2006 through my Helmers Publishing, Inc. in Peterborough N.H.

See www.helmers.com for various recent articles and comments...

Its been close to 10 years since I believe I compiled one, the distro version normally works for my needs these days. I had a collection of Fishtank Macs back in the day and when playing with the appletalk network I did some custom builds to get them to talk to my linux box.

The only time I compiled a kernel is when using crux linux. For other linux distros, I use the kernel supplied or upgrade the kernel from the repos.

I used to compile every kernel from source, sometimes from unofficial branches, or with hand-picked patch sets. Eventually, the distro kernel maintainers (for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, Slackware, etc.) collectively got to the point where the patches I wanted were included by default, and the features and drivers I cared about were either compiled in or compiled as modules and included with the initrd, as appropriate. For me, the need to compile it, myself, became deprecated, because those who were packaging for the distros got so good at their jobs. Even realtime kernel packages have gotten to the point where I don't need to DIY, when I need a RT kernel for something. Even better, if a module isn't included by default, it's usually available in its own package, so I can use apt or another package manager to fetch it, compile it into the initrd, and insert it (or add it do /etc/modules); no fuss, no muss.

Kudos, guys.

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It's been a number of years since I last compiled a kernel and since I do so many different things on my box I have little desire any more to optimize for any specific purpose.

BYTE! That brings back some fond memories.

I used to compile my own, but that was ages ago. Now days, unless I have a specific need I stick with the kernel as supplied by the distribution. In my case this is Slackware. I use the provided generic kernel and create a initrd to boot with.

Usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas I compile my own on just to see if I can do better than the one that was pre-compiled. It's definitely not as easy as it used to be. I also try to compile a newer 3.x kernel on my old 486 (but not on that machine) at that time of year.

I compile my own kernel by habit, to fine tune it and avoid a bunch of installed modules I will never use.
Also as I have efi hardware, I enable EFI stub support and Built-in kernel command line. This way I don't need a bootloader anymore.

I use LFS so gotta roll my own, but from selecting a menu item in grub to geting a login prompt takes just under 12 seconds, so I don't mind building it all from scratch, I use a full custom desktop.

to busy cussing at the way programmers and web searches go in circle and do nothing rather then wasting time to compile something that already works . dumping mint now to go back to ubuntu 12.o4 LTS,, if only Linux had been around 10 years earlier , i could have learned it , instead of DOS commands ..now migraines and loss of memory handicap me

I loaded Crux for the exercise. Haven't used it for years, thought it might be fun to play with the nuts and bolts.
For years I have used the supplied kernel, but today I compile, like riding a push bike, just jump back on.
There's a load of new options, modules, etc. Compiled, installed, booted, no wucking forries.

I compiled my own kernel once, working from an article in Linux Voice, for the experience. I was using Ubuntu in a VM, because the article used Ubuntu as a for instance.

Other than that, I've never had the desire to compile my own kernel and not run into a situation in which the stock kernel of whatever distro I was using seem to cause any issues.

Like your proverbial Ubuntu user, I have never compiled a kernel and would do so only with trepidation. That said I just last week installed Trisquel Mini on my old netbook and might at some point try my hand at that ... it came with a 3.x kernel and I know when I ran Linux Mint on it it had no problems with the 4.x series.