1Menuconfig gives the Linux kernel configuration a long needed face
2lift.  Featuring text based color menus and dialogs, it does not
3require X Windows.  With this utility you can easily select a kernel
4option to modify without sifting through 100 other options.
5
6Overview
7--------
8Some kernel features may be built directly into the kernel.
9Some may be made into loadable runtime modules.  Some features
10may be completely removed altogether.  There are also certain
11kernel parameters which are not really features, but must be 
12entered in as decimal or hexadecimal numbers or possibly text.
13
14Menu items beginning with [*], <M> or [ ] represent features 
15configured to be built in, modularized or removed respectively.
16Pointed brackets <> represent module capable features.
17                                                             more...
18
19To change any of these features, highlight it with the cursor 
20keys and press <Y> to build it in, <M> to make it a module or
21<N> to removed it.  You may also press the <Space Bar> to cycle
22through the available options (ie. Y->N->M->Y). 
23
24Items beginning with numbers or other text within parenthesis can 
25be changed by highlighting the item and pressing <Enter>.  Then
26enter the new parameter into the dialog box that pops up.
27
28
29Some additional keyboard hints:
30
31Menus
32----------
33o  Use the Up/Down arrow keys (cursor keys) to highlight the item 
34   you wish to change or submenu wish to select and press <Enter>.
35   Submenus are designated by "--->".
36
37   Shortcut: Press the option's highlighted letter (hotkey).
38             Pressing a hotkey more than once will sequence
39             through all visible items which use that hotkey.
40
41   You may also use the <PAGE UP> and <PAGE DOWN> keys to scroll
42   unseen options into view.
43
44o  To exit a menu use the cursor keys to highlight the <Exit> button
45   and press <ENTER>.  
46
47   Shortcut: Press <ESC><ESC> or <E> or <X> if there is no hotkey
48             using those letters.  You may press a single <ESC>, but
49             there is a delayed response which you may find annoying.
50
51   Also, the <TAB> and cursor keys will cycle between <Select>,
52   <Exit> and <Help>
53
54o  To get help with an item, use the cursor keys to highlight <Help>
55   and Press <ENTER>.
56
57   Shortcut: Press <H> or <?>.
58
59
60Radiolists  (Choice lists)
61-----------
62o  Use the cursor keys to select the option you wish to set and press
63   <S> or the <SPACE BAR>.
64
65   Shortcut: Press the first letter of the option you wish to set then
66             press <S> or <SPACE BAR>.
67
68o  To see available help for the item, use the cursor keys to highlight
69   <Help> and Press <ENTER>.
70
71   Shortcut: Press <H> or <?>.
72
73   Also, the <TAB> and cursor keys will cycle between <Select> and
74   <Help>
75
76
77Data Entry
78-----------
79o  Enter the requested information and press <ENTER>
80   If you are entering hexadecimal values, it is not necessary to
81   add the '0x' prefix to the entry.
82
83o  For help, use the <TAB> or cursor keys to highlight the help option
84   and press <ENTER>.  You can try <TAB><H> as well.
85
86
87Text Box    (Help Window)
88--------
89o  Use the cursor keys to scroll up/down/left/right.  The VI editor
90   keys h,j,k,l function here as do <SPACE BAR> and <B> for those
91   who are familiar with less and lynx.
92
93o  Press <E>, <X>, <Enter> or <Esc><Esc> to exit.
94
95
96Final Acceptance
97----------------
98With the exception of the old style sound configuration,
99YOUR CHANGES ARE NOT FINAL.  You will be given a last chance to
100confirm them prior to exiting Menuconfig.
101
102If Menuconfig quits with an error while saving your configuration,
103you may look in the file /usr/src/linux/.menuconfig.log for
104information which may help you determine the cause.
105
106Alternate Configuration Files
107-----------------------------
108Menuconfig supports the use of alternate configuration files for
109those who, for various reasons, find it necessary to switch 
110between different kernel configurations.
111
112At the end of the main menu you will find two options.  One is
113for saving the current configuration to a file of your choosing.
114The other option is for loading a previously saved alternate
115configuration.
116
117Even if you don't use alternate configuration files, but you 
118find during a Menuconfig session that you have completely messed
119up your settings, you may use the "Load Alternate..." option to
120restore your previously saved settings from ".config" without 
121restarting Menuconfig.
122
123Other information
124-----------------
125The windowing utility, lxdialog, will only be rebuilt if your kernel
126source tree is fresh, or changes are patched into it via a kernel
127patch or you do 'make mrproper'.  If changes to lxdialog are patched
128in, most likely the rebuild time will be short.  You may force a
129complete rebuild of lxdialog by changing to it's directory and doing
130'make clean all'
131
132If you use Menuconfig in an XTERM window make sure you have your 
133$TERM variable set to point to a xterm definition which supports color.
134Otherwise, Menuconfig will look rather bad.  Menuconfig will not 
135display correctly in a RXVT window because rxvt displays only one
136intensity of color, bright.
137
138Menuconfig will display larger menus on screens or xterms which are
139set to display more than the standard 25 row by 80 column geometry.
140In order for this to work, the "stty size" command must be able to 
141display the screen's current row and column geometry.  I STRONGLY
142RECOMMEND that you make sure you do NOT have the shell variables
143LINES and COLUMNS exported into your environment.  Some distributions
144export those variables via /etc/profile.  Some ncurses programs can
145become confused when those variables (LINES & COLUMNS) don't reflect
146the true screen size.
147
148
149NOTICE:  lxdialog requires the ncurses libraries to compile.  If you
150         don't already have ncurses you really should get it.
151
152         The makefile for lxdialog attempts to find your ncurses
153         header file.  Although it should find the header for older
154         versions of ncurses, it is probably a good idea to get the
155         latest ncurses anyway. 
156
157         If you have upgraded your ncurses libraries, MAKE SURE you
158         remove the old ncurses header files.  If you don't you
159         will most certainly get a segmentation fault.
160
161WARNING: It is not recommended that you change any defines in
162         lxdialog's header files.  If you have a grayscale display and
163         are brave, you may tinker with color.h to tune the colors to
164         your preference.
165
166COMPATIBILITY ISSUE:
167         There have been some compatibility problems reported with
168         older versions of bash and sed.  I am trying to work these
169         out but it is preferable that you upgrade those utilities.
170
171
172******** IMPORTANT, OPTIONAL ALTERNATE PERSONALITY AVAILABLE ********
173********                                                     ********
174If you prefer to have all of the kernel options listed in a single
175menu, rather than the default multimenu hierarchy, you may edit the
176Menuconfig script and change the line "single_menu_mode="  to 
177"single_menu_mode=TRUE".
178
179This mode is not recommended unless you have a fairly fast machine.
180*********************************************************************
181
182
183Propaganda
184----------
185The windowing support utility (lxdialog) is a VERY modified version of
186the dialog utility by Savio Lam <lam836@cs.cuhk.hk>.  Although lxdialog
187is significantly different from dialog, I have left Savio's copyrights
188intact.  Please DO NOT contact Savio with questions about lxdialog.
189He will not be able to assist.
190
191William Roadcap was the original author of Menuconfig.
192Michael Elizabeth Chastain <mec@shout.net> is the current maintainer.
193
194<END OF FILE>
195