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Old 11-09-2018, 01:14 PM   #1
TheLexx
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Searching menuconfig help text (how?)


Is there a way to search the help text generated within the menuconfig help system?

I am aware of the slash command provided by menuconfig, however this only searches the the symbols used in .config. I am interested in searching the help file. This is because, some time ago I was trying to figure out what was causing sd_mod to be compiled as a module. I eventually found it with an Internet search. The module sd_mod was related to the symbol BLK_DEV_SD. The reason I could not find it with the built in search was that the symbol had little resemblance to the module name.


The help text for BLK_DEV_SD was as follows

Code:
To compile this driver as a module, choose M here and read
<file:Documentation/scsi/scsi.txt>.
The module will be called sd_mod.

Do not compile this driver as a module if your root file system
(the one containing the directory /) is located on a SCSI disk.
In this case, do not compile the driver for your SCSI host adapter
(below) as a module either.
Perhaps there is a way to dump all the help text to a single file that can be searched with traditional Unix search tools. Does anyone one know how I could have searched the help text to figure out how the module sd_mod was related to the symbol BLK_DEV_SD?
 
Old 11-09-2018, 05:42 PM   #2
TheLexx
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-- oops responded to wrong thread --

Last edited by TheLexx; 11-09-2018 at 05:44 PM. Reason: responded to wrong thread
 
Old 11-09-2018, 08:33 PM   #3
syg00
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I have used this forever. Has a search box at the top, but isn't specific to the tool, so you have to filter out the results. I rarely (never) use the search, but may be what you want.
 
Old 11-13-2018, 12:45 PM   #4
zeebra
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cat and grep?
 
Old 11-13-2018, 09:21 PM   #5
TheLexx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zeebra View Post
cat and grep?
Cat and grep what? I am wanting to search the help info that is displayed inside the ncurses based menuconfig.
 
Old 11-14-2018, 04:03 AM   #6
minakshisondule
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As pointed of above; search for "FRAME_POINTER" after make menuconfig by pressing '/' key. It'll display all the config option having this string. Press the number against the desired option. It'll take you to that specific Hardware configuration. Change configuration with a "space" key. Don't forget to save before exiting.

On my system, I got below output listed first

Symbol: FRAME_POINTER [=y]
Type : boolean
Prompt: Compile the kernel with frame pointers
Location:
-> Kernel hacking (1) -> Compile-time checks and compiler options

Last edited by minakshisondule; 11-14-2018 at 04:05 AM.
 
Old 11-14-2018, 05:18 AM   #7
zeebra
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheLexx View Post
Cat and grep what? I am wanting to search the help info that is displayed inside the ncurses based menuconfig.
The information in the menuconfig helpfile comes from somewhere in /urc/src/linux and should be searchable.. Anyways, searching where that info is contained I came over something else that might be more helpful and do what it is you're trying to do:

https://unix.stackexchange.com/quest...n-menu-entries

Anyways, I stopped looking for the menuconfig help file in the meantime.
 
Old 11-14-2018, 05:19 AM   #8
zeebra
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Quote:
Originally Posted by syg00 View Post
I have used this forever. Has a search box at the top, but isn't specific to the tool, so you have to filter out the results. I rarely (never) use the search, but may be what you want.
I've used that too, it's pretty useful, but it doesn't contain all the info you need in all cases..
 
Old 11-14-2018, 11:22 AM   #9
TheLexx
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Congratulations to zeebra for linking me to the post on stackexchange.com. The quick and dirty solution is to grep all the files under the Linux source tree called Kconfig. then once I find a single file open the file in Emacs/Vim/etc and searching for the text in question. Here is an example based on a search for sd_mod. Replace sd_mod for the term your searching for.

Code:
find . -name 'Kconfig' -exec grep -H sd_mod '{}' \;
I thought about creating a python script perform the search, but I'm not sure how often such a thing would come in handy.

ps. to minakshisondule, I see you have done the thing that I have done by mistake due to unbridled enthusiasm. I've been so eager to help someone else. I wish to help someone else because I don't want to be that person that request help but never helps someone else. I've seen the headline and though "OH OH OH I know the answer, I can solve this one.". Then in a hurry, I quickly read through the posts and missed the all important part where the OP has tried the thing I know how to do. It just did not work because of subtle problem the the OP explained in the first post. But it is good to keep trying instead of clamming up and not wanting to help.

Last edited by TheLexx; 11-14-2018 at 12:00 PM. Reason: spelling
 
  


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