Chapter 7. Kernel Itches and Other Configuration Annoyances

Even when you get a thoroughly tested and supposedly user-friendly distribution of Linux, things may not work the way you want out of the box. Superficial problems such as file shares that you can't access on other computers, or Microsoft partitions you want to read on your own computer, can usually be fixed with helper programs. But sometimes serious upgrades are required, which may include a new kernel module or even a new version of the kernel. A lot of this chapter, therefore, covers kernel configuration and compilation.

This chapter is rounded out with a couple of annoyances that don't fit into other chapters: allowing regular users to mount the CD, and configuring access to Microsoft-formatted VFAT and NTFS partitions.