identifying hardware for kernel config purposes

[Glenn Becker]

Hi -

I am following along in the Handbook in my first attempt to compile a 
custom kernel ... and once again confronting the fact that I really know 
beans about hardware. So once I get to the "device" lines in my edited 
copy of the GENERIC config file I start to get a little bit lost.

I know enough to look through /var/run/dmesg.boot, and many devices make 
themselves obvious (a DVD-ROM drive is a DVD-ROM drive is a ...) but how 
do I identify my motherboard, for example, so I know which lines to 
comment out (or conversely, leave in) in the kernel config file?

If there is a good overall guide to info like this, I'd appreciate it if 
someone would point it out to me. :^) I also get lost in the alphabet 
soup of ATA, PCI, SCSI and so on.

Thanks in advance for any guidance. I didn't want to attach my whole 
dmesg.boot file but will do so if that will help.

Best,

Glenn

+-----------------------------------------------------+
Glenn Becker - burningc at sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org
+-----------------------------------------------------+