Best Practices For Kernel Configuration

Kconfig Kernel Configuration Format and Best Practices

Best Practices for Kernel Configuration

Consider Using Imply Instead of Select

In the Kconfig configuration format, the option depends on indicates that the symbol must already be positively selected (y) in order for the current option to be enabled. However, it is often preferable to use imply instead of depends on .

The imply option implies that the symbol is likely to be selected if the current option is enabled, but it does not make it a strict requirement. This allows for more flexibility in the configuration process.

For example, consider the following Kconfig snippet:

``` config FOO bool "Enable FOO" depends on BAR ```

In this example, the FOO option cannot be enabled unless the BAR option is also enabled. However, using imply instead of depends on allows FOO to be enabled even if BAR is not enabled. This can be useful in cases where FOO can be used independently of BAR in some situations.

To test the resolution to a depends on or imply statement, use the sample Kconfig file. This file provides some assistance for using make config. Use make help to list all available options.