Kernel Options

[Giorgos Keramidas]

On 2004-07-28 12:02, bsd hack <time_to_hack at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> I have the following quetions:
> (1) There are a few options that are not available in the default
> kernel... like the IPFIREWALL options(and the like)... I basically need to
> know all possible options I can add to the kernel config file!

Try reading these:

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/kernelconfig.html
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/kernelconfig-config.html

> (2) I guess these options can be used to set the kernel variables
> accessible through the sysctl command. So can I create my own options so
> that I can set a few kernel variables as and when I build the custom
> kernel?

I don't think so.  Read the Handbook sections I posted above for details.

> (3) and also my aim includes optimizing the kernel... so by enabling
> only the options I need to I should get a get optimization... is there
> anything else that can be done?

If security is what concerns you, the Handbook has also this chapter:

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/security.html

There also many online articles that deal with the issue of security on
a BSD system.  Google will reveal dozens of them, but here's a starting
pointer just to get you going:

http://www.onlamp.com/pub/ct/13

Cheers,
Giorgos