Should Aunt Tillie Build Her Own Kernels?

DeadBugs writes: "Linux Weekly News is reporting on a new linux controversy. The inclusion of a Kernel Autoconfiguration program that would make it easy for almost anybody to build a custom Kernel on their computer. Eric Raymond supports this idea saying that this will bring Linux to a wider market. Those that oppose this idea mainly think that only those educated few should custom build their own Kernels. I for one hope this gets included if only to make standard installations and upgrades faster."

Comments

Re:Disclaimer

[SirSlud]

whoa, did I say autoconf?!?!?!?! Sorry ... I meant, this auto kernel config tool. Yikes, I think it's time to go home ... or maybe for a refill on the coffee. :(

Re:Controversy???

[Otter]

I'd guess it's a "controversy" because Eric Raymond a) proposed it in a typically condescending, inflammatory way and then b) ran around publicizing the thread as a great controversy in the kernel world.

Here is a different angle on the same issue, that makes for a better debate: Should the typical user be running a precompiled, distribution supplied kernel or a customized kernel that may offer performance advantages or may be wildly inappropriate and which creates immense tech support headaches?

Granny should build custom kernels.

[rice_burners_suck]

It would be great if anyone could build a custom kernel.

Imagine this... Let's say it's 5 years down the road, and the hot new computer is the 72 ghz Apple Pentium G7 with 64 gigs of on-chip ram. Hard drives have been totally eliminated because new, memory based permanent storage technology has been invented and proven over the past 2 years. An entire meg can be recorded in under 1 microsecond. The only remaining mechanical component of a computer is the standard Glass-RW drive (the 2 terabyte recordable successor to DVD), so the whole computer is now a small single board, and most of the electronic hardware is inside the main processor, an inch square in size. In fact, the plugs on this board take more room and cost more than the computation hardware.

Now imagine that a build world takes 4 minutes to complete. Here's how installation of FreeBSD 9.8-RELEASE takes place. (Yeah, I know this was a Linux thread.) You pop the Glassdisk in the drive, choose a few options, and all your software is configured, optimized, checked for security vulnerabilities, compiled and installed within 2 or 3 minutes.

In order for that to happen in 5 years, Granny needs the ability to custom configure her own kernel right now.

Aunt Tillie rocks

[eyeball]

I think if Aunt Tillie can create a swap partition during installation, pick a window manager, download compile + install the latest mozilla browser update (or maybe she prefers Opera), configure her firewall, and set up lpr for her printer, she can recompile her kernel. I just don't want to be around when she starts looking for "Freecell."