related to make config
 

I'm not sure if this questin fits into the hardware category, but i'm not sure that is fits anywhere else either.

I've been working on recompiling/customizing my kernel. I use mandrake 9.2 and am trying to update to 2.4.26 kernel so that i can learn. Here is the thing:when i'm going through the comfiguration (xconfig) i see all these options that i have no idea what they are. A bunch of things are straitfoward or the help tells me what to do. But there are a bunch that i have no idea if they apply to my computer. What i'm looking for is a way of knowing what options need to be enabled in the kernel for my machine and what it don't need. Is there a command that lists everything in my computer (hardware or needed services)? If not, is there another way to find out?? Please and thanks for the help.

-Ghendo

I would reccommend using make menuconfig from a terminal, I've always had bad experiences with gui based configs, but they could be muchly improved by now.
As for your questions, I know during make menuconfig you can just press ? while you have whatever selected and it tells you vaguely what it's purpose is, and if most people do or do not need it.
You just need to know your computer hardware. while in some terminals, type lspci and then go to another and do make menuconfig, or go to tty2 and do make xconfig from there.. anyways :) have you tried right clicking and seeing if there is a help function, or single click the item and then search for a help box. As for a decent tutorial, here.. http://shilo.is-a-geek.com/slack/kernel14.html
Just be sure to keep your older vmlinuz file, and to add a new boot option in lilo so you can go back to your old kernel.

You can use lspci in the command line as root to find the PCI devices you have. Also if you choose help on options there's mostly either and explanation and sometimes what most users would do. COuld be helpful too.

I would echo FLOOD's advice -- I use menuconfig, and Yes, although there are a huge number of options, just pressing the ? key will display the "help page" for that option. (Not every single option has a lot of descriptive help, but most do.)

As a general rule of thumb, if the option and the help are totally baffling, I'd just leaving the current, default setting alone.

If there is a specific function that you are having trouble configuring, post back about that. Good luck with it -- J.W.