qkernel is a simple wrapper around genkernel to provide an easier way to update or recompile the kernel including initramfs. It autodetects if a kernel configuration exists and automatically calls genkernel with the required parameters. qkernel prevents to store files under /etc/kernels and doesn't use or touch the config-YYYY-mm-dd-H:m:s-bak files created by genkernel.
Simply run (refer to qkernel.8 for details):
$ qkernel [ view | save ]
Because qkernel is a wrapper around genkernel it builds the kernel which is linked to /usr/src/linux ! qkernel doesn't touch nor change this link!
qkernel uses internal the file .qconfig which is simply a copy of .config (beware of the q). If .qconfig doesn't exists in /usr/src/linux it copies the actual /proc/config.gz and uses genkernel's command line option –oldconfig . Thus a make oldconfig will be done. Otherwise it uses .qconfig for the kernel configuration. After the kernel was build successfully it updates .qconfig with the actual configuration. qkernel runs genkernel with the command line options –menuconfig –no-save-config always.
The file .qconfig is used to be required because qkernel executes make mrproper and make clean always - as recommended by the kernel developers.
The decision to not use /etc/kernels was made to not spread files over the operating system to uncommon locations and prevent possible confusion.
In case the last configuration stored by menuconfig have to be restored, do
$ cd /usr/src/linux $ cp .oldconfig .qconfig
Beware of .qconfig and NOT .config! Alternative a config-*.bak file could be copied if necessary.
Usually it is save to delete all *.bak files if the kernel was compiled successful. Maybe this will become a subject to change to let qkernel do this.