One of the strengths of Linux is the degree to which you can configure the kernel to suit different jobs, from a small dedicated device such as a smart thermostat to a complex mobile handset. In current versions, there are many thousands of configuration options. Getting the configuration right is a task in itself but, before that, I want to show you how it works so that you can better understand what is going on.
The configuration mechanism is called Kconfig, and the build system that it integrates with is called Kbuild. Both are documented in Documentation/kbuild. Kconfig/Kbuild is used in a number of other projects as well as the kernel, including Crosstool-NG, U-Boot, Barebox, and BusyBox. ...
