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Chapter 10, Kernel
#88 Compile a Kernel
HACK
Google needs to be searched, and your head needs to be scratched. Lack of
universal device support is why Linux users need to research their periph-
eral purchases before they buy.
When your Linux kernel doesn’t already support a particular device, you
often need to compile in support yourself. If the code for your device is
experimental, you might need to patch the kernel before you compile it.
Many users are nervous about compiling any program, and recompiling the
kernel makes them even more so. The “archaic” process of compiling the
kernel is often avoided by many users who live in hope that the kernel that
ships with the next version of their distribution will provide the hardware
support they need.
Although daunting at first, compiling a kernel can provide a number of ben-
efits, both for yourself and for your humble computer. The first boon is that
you are able to tweak your kernel so that it is custom-built for your specific
hardware configuration. This can potentially increase your computer’s per-
formance. Another benefit is that you can patch the kernel with the latest
“experimental” drivers, which might not be present in the official source
code or in your vendor-provided kernel. Although patching code can seem a
little nerve-wracking, it can greatly extend your system’s flexibility—the bar
for getting drivers in the official kernel release ...