How to Find Configuration Options Quickly in Make Menuconfig

If you’ve ever compiled the Linux kernel, you’ll know make menuconfig is the command line used to unset/set options, disable/enable modules in order to match your hardware and requirements. I used to simply browse in the menu to find the option, and just remember the correct path. Sometimes I just looked at .config to locate the option I needed, and the possible path in make menuconfig. The first time you use a new option it can be time consuming. But I’ve just found there is a better way via Google+.

“/” is actually available in make menuconfig, just like it is in vi/vim. If you want to enable NFS server in your kernel, press “/”, and search for NFSD.

make_menuconfig_nfsd_search

It will show the list of results with “NFSD” strings. NFS server support is right at the top, and the path is shown to be File Systems->Network File Systems. The neat thing is you don’t have to remember or note the path, as you can just press the number between parenthesis on the left of the option location, in this case (1), and it will take you directly there.

make_menuconfig_nfs_server

But what if you’re searching for a string with lots of results such as PCI. The actual CONFIG_PCI is just buried in the search results. The solution is to use regular expressions. If you just want to find “CONFIG_PCI”, press “/” for a search, and “^PCI$” to find the exact match.

make_menuconfig_PCI_search

Great! Press “1” to go to the option, and enable PCI in your kernel. You can use other regexps as well.

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