Configuration Menu Language
Encyclopedia
Configuration Menu Language was used, in Linux kernel
versions prior to 2.5.45, to configure
the values that determine the composition and exact functionality of the kernel. Many possible variations in kernel functionality can exist; and customization is possible, for instance for the specifications of the exact hardware it will run on. It can also be tuned for administrator preferences.
CML was written by Raymond Chen in 1993.
Its question-and-answer interface allowed systematic selection particular behaviors without editing multiple system files.
Eric S. Raymond
wrote a menu-driven module named CML2 to replace it, but it was officially rejected. Linus Torvald attributed the rejection in a 2007 lkml.org post to a preference for small incremental changes, and concern that the maintainer had not been involved in the rewrite. "You can't just...go do your own thing and expect it to be merged," he said, noting that Raymond "left with a splash" over the rejection.
LinuxKernelConf replaced CML in kernel version 2.5.45, and remains in use for the 2.6 kernel.
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software....
versions prior to 2.5.45, to configure
Menuconfig
make menuconfig is one of three tools that can configure the Linux kernel source, a necessary early step needed to compile the source code...
the values that determine the composition and exact functionality of the kernel. Many possible variations in kernel functionality can exist; and customization is possible, for instance for the specifications of the exact hardware it will run on. It can also be tuned for administrator preferences.
CML was written by Raymond Chen in 1993.
Its question-and-answer interface allowed systematic selection particular behaviors without editing multiple system files.
Eric S. Raymond
Eric S. Raymond
Eric Steven Raymond , often referred to as ESR, is an American computer programmer, author and open source software advocate. After the 1997 publication of The Cathedral and the Bazaar, Raymond was for a number of years frequently quoted as an unofficial spokesman for the open source movement...
wrote a menu-driven module named CML2 to replace it, but it was officially rejected. Linus Torvald attributed the rejection in a 2007 lkml.org post to a preference for small incremental changes, and concern that the maintainer had not been involved in the rewrite. "You can't just...go do your own thing and expect it to be merged," he said, noting that Raymond "left with a splash" over the rejection.
LinuxKernelConf replaced CML in kernel version 2.5.45, and remains in use for the 2.6 kernel.
External links
- The Linux Kernel HOWTO 2003 More recent documentation may exist but the TLDP kernel page is currently offline and under revision.
- The CML2 Language - Constraint based configuration for the Linux kernel and elsewhere
- CML2 Resources Page