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Overview

The Miele-LXIV build system uses Kconfig (the same configuration system used by the Linux kernel) to manage build options. The configuration is defined in two files:
  • Kconfig-miele - Build step configuration (used by reconfigure.sh)
  • Kconfig-seed - Initial setup configuration (used by seed.sh)
These files define the menu structure shown in the interactive kconfig-mconf interface.

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Kconfig Language

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Basic Syntax

config OPTION_NAME
    bool "Menu label"
    default y
    ---help---
        Help text describing this option.

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Configuration Types

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bool
type
Boolean option (yes/no, on/off). Displayed as checkbox [ ] or [*].
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string
type
String value. User can enter text.
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choice
type
Exclusive selection. Only one option in the group can be selected.
mainmenu "Main menu title"

config OPTION
    bool "Option label"

if OPTION
menu "Submenu title"

config SUBOPTION
    bool "Suboption label"
    
endmenu
endif

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Kconfig-miele Structure

Defines the build steps menu used by reconfigure.sh.
Kconfig-miele:1
mainmenu "Miele-LXIV - 3rd Party Modules Configuration"

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Download Section

Kconfig-miele:4-84
config DOWNLOAD
    bool "Download sources"
    default n
    ---help---
        Also apply available patches.

if DOWNLOAD
menu "download modules"

config DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_OPENSSL
    bool "OpenSSL"
    default y

config DOWNLOAD_LIB_ICONV
    bool "iconv"
    default y

# ... more download options ...

config DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_DCMTK
    bool "DCMTK"
    default y
    
config PATCH_DCMTK
    bool "patch DCMTK"
    default y
    depends on DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_DCMTK

endmenu
endif # DOWNLOAD
Key features:
  • Top-level DOWNLOAD option enables the entire section
  • Submenu contains individual package download options
  • PATCH_DCMTK depends on DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_DCMTK
  • All options default to y (enabled) except the top-level

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Info Section

Controls version information display:
Kconfig-miele:87-139
config INFO
    bool "Show version information"
    default n

if INFO
menu "Info modules"

config INFO_ICONV
    bool "ICONV"
    default y

config INFO_PNG
    bool "PNG"
    default y

# ... more info options ...

endmenu
endif

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Configure Section

Controls which packages to configure:
Kconfig-miele:142-204
config CONFIGURE
    bool "Configure"
    default y

if CONFIGURE
menu "Configure modules"

config CONFIGURE_LIB_ICONV
    bool "lib ICONV"
    default y

config CONFIGURE_VTK
    bool "VTK"
    default y
    
config CONFIGURE_ITK
    bool "ITK"
    default y

config CONFIGURE_DCMTK
    bool "DCMTK"
    default y

# ... more configure options ...

endmenu
endif

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Build Section

Controls compilation and installation:
Kconfig-miele:208-280
config BUILD
    bool "Build"
    default y
    
if BUILD
menu "Build modules"

config COMPILE_VTK
    bool "Build VTK"
    default y

config COLLAPSE_VTK
    bool "Single VTK library"
    default y
    depends on COMPILE_VTK

config BUILD_ITK
    bool "Build ITK"
    default y

config COLLAPSE_ITK
    bool "Single ITK library"
    default y
    depends on BUILD_ITK

config COMPILE_DCMTK
    bool "Build DCMTK"
    default y

# ... more build options ...

endmenu
endif
Notable features:
  • COLLAPSE_VTK depends on COMPILE_VTK
  • Collapse options combine multiple .a files into single library

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Install Section

Kconfig-miele:283-314
config INSTALL
    bool "Install"
    default y
    
if INSTALL
menu "Install modules"

config INSTALL_DCMTK
    bool "Install DCMTK"
    default y

config POST_INSTALL_DCMTK
    bool "Post-Processing installed DCMTK"
    default y
    depends on INSTALL_DCMTK
    ---help---
        Do this once, when new sources are updated.
        
config COLLAPSE_DCMTK
    bool "Single DCMTK library"
    default y
    depends on INSTALL_DCMTK

endmenu
endif
Kconfig-miele:317-390
config REMOVE_SYMLINKS
    bool "Remove Symbolic links"
    default n

config CREATE_SYMLINKS
    bool "Create Symbolic links"
    default n
    
if CREATE_SYMLINKS
menu "Create symlinks"

config UNZIP_BINARIES
    bool "Unzip binaries"
    default y
    
config CREATE_SYMLINKS_JPEG
    bool "JPEG"
    default y
    
config CREATE_SYMLINKS_VTK
    bool "VTK"
    default y

# ... more symlink options ...

endmenu
endif

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Kconfig-seed Structure

Defines initial configuration options used by seed.sh.

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Version Set Configuration

Kconfig-seed:4-10
config VERSION_SET
    string "version numbers"
    default "version-set-8.8.conf"
    ---help---
        Specify a set of version numbers which are known to work well together.
        The number in the filename is the version number of the VTK package
This string option lets users select which version set file to use.

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Directory Configuration

Kconfig-seed:12-23
config SRC_DIR
    string "sources directory"
    default "~/Downloads/source"
    
config BLD_DIR
    string "build directory"
    default "~/Documents/temp/build"

config BIN_DIR
    string "install directory"
    default "~/Applications"
String options for directory paths. Tilde (~) is expanded by the build script.

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Generator Selection

Kconfig-seed:25-35
choice
    prompt "CMake generator"
    default GENERATOR_MK
    
config GENERATOR_MK
    bool "makefiles"

config GENERATOR_XC
    bool "Xcode"
    
endchoice
Exclusive choice between two CMake generators:
  • GENERATOR_MK - Unix Makefiles (default)
  • GENERATOR_XC - Xcode projects

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Shared Sources Option

Kconfig-seed:37-44
config SHARED_SOURCES
    bool "Reuse available sources"
    default n
    ---help---
        For modules that do not require patching, place them in
        a shared parent directory, to avoid downloading them again.

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Configuration File Output

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steps.conf Format

Generated by reconfigure.sh (via kconfig-mconf Kconfig-miele): 
#
# Automatically generated file; DO NOT EDIT.
# Miele-LXIV - 3rd Party Modules Configuration
#

#
# Download sources
#
STEP_DOWNLOAD=y
STEP_DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_OPENSSL=y
STEP_DOWNLOAD_LIB_ICONV=y
STEP_DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_DCMTK=y
STEP_PATCH_DCMTK=y

#
# Info modules
#
# STEP_INFO is not set

#
# Configure modules
#
STEP_CONFIGURE=y
STEP_CONFIGURE_LIB_ICONV=y
STEP_CONFIGURE_VTK=y
STEP_CONFIGURE_ITK=y
STEP_CONFIGURE_DCMTK=y

#
# Build modules
#
STEP_BUILD=y
STEP_COMPILE_VTK=y
STEP_COLLAPSE_VTK=y
STEP_BUILD_ITK=y
STEP_COLLAPSE_ITK=y
STEP_COMPILE_DCMTK=y

#
# Install modules
#
STEP_INSTALL=y
STEP_INSTALL_DCMTK=y
STEP_POST_INSTALL_DCMTK=y
STEP_COLLAPSE_DCMTK=y

# STEP_REMOVE_SYMLINKS is not set

#
# Create symlinks
#
STEP_CREATE_SYMLINKS=y
STEP_UNZIP_BINARIES=y
STEP_CREATE_SYMLINKS_VTK=y
STEP_CREATE_SYMLINKS_ITK=y
STEP_CREATE_SYMLINKS_DCMTK=y

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seed.conf Format

Generated by seed.sh (via kconfig-mconf Kconfig-seed): 
#
# Automatically generated file; DO NOT EDIT.
# Miele-LXIV - Once-only configuration
#
CONFIG_VERSION_SET="version-set-8.8.conf"
CONFIG_SRC_DIR="~/Downloads/source"
CONFIG_BLD_DIR="~/Documents/temp/build"
CONFIG_BIN_DIR="~/Applications"
CONFIG_GENERATOR_MK=y
# CONFIG_GENERATOR_XC is not set
# CONFIG_SHARED_SOURCES is not set
TIMESTAMP=miele-easy-20210615_1423
Key differences from steps.conf:
  • Uses CONFIG_ prefix instead of STEP_
  • Contains string values in quotes
  • Includes timestamp appended by build.sh

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Variable Naming Convention

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In Kconfig Files

Variable names in Kconfig files do NOT include the prefix: 
config DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_VTK
    bool "VTK"

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In Configuration Output

The prefix is added automatically based on the CONFIG_ environment variable:
  • reconfigure.sh sets CONFIG_=STEP_ → variables become STEP_DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_VTK
  • seed.sh sets CONFIG_=CONFIG_ → variables become CONFIG_DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_VTK

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In build.sh

The build script checks variables with their full prefix: 
if [ $STEP_DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_VTK ] ; then
    # download VTK
fi

if [ $CONFIG_SHARED_SOURCES ] ; then
    eval SRC=$CONFIG_SRC_DIR
else
    eval SRC=$CONFIG_SRC_DIR/$TIMESTAMP
fi

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Dependencies and Conditionals

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Simple Dependency

config PATCH_DCMTK
    bool "patch DCMTK"
    default y
    depends on DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_DCMTK
The PATCH_DCMTK option is only visible/available if DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_DCMTK is enabled.

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Conditional Sections

config BUILD
    bool "Build"
    default y
    
if BUILD
menu "Build modules"
# ... options only shown if BUILD is enabled ...
endmenu
endif
Entire menu sections can be conditional.

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Choice Groups

choice
    prompt "CMake generator"
    default GENERATOR_MK
    
config GENERATOR_MK
    bool "makefiles"

config GENERATOR_XC
    bool "Xcode"
    
endchoice
Only one option in a choice group can be selected at a time.

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Help Text

Help text is displayed when the user presses ? on a menu option: 
config POST_INSTALL_DCMTK
    bool "Post-Processing installed DCMTK"
    default y
    depends on INSTALL_DCMTK
    ---help---
        Do this once, when new sources are updated.
Help text should:
  • Explain what the option does
  • Mention when to enable/disable it
  • Note any important side effects

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Advanced Kconfig Features

While not currently used in Miele-LXIV, Kconfig supports:
  • tristate - Three-state values (y/n/m)
  • int - Integer values
  • hex - Hexadecimal values
  • range - Restrict numeric values
  • select - Force other options to be enabled
  • imply - Suggest other options should be enabled
  • Complex boolean expressions in depends on

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Modifying Menu Structure

To add a new build step:
  1. Edit Kconfig-miele
  2. Add new option in appropriate section:
config DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_NEWLIB
    bool "NewLib"
    default y
  1. Add corresponding configure/build/install options
  2. Run ./reconfigure.sh to regenerate steps.conf
  3. Modify build.sh to handle the new STEP_DOWNLOAD_SOURCES_NEWLIB variable

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Configuration File Compatibility

Kconfig configuration files are:
  • Shell-compatible - Can be sourced with source or .
  • Comment-preserving - Comments indicate disabled options
  • Regenerable - Can be recreated by running kconfig-mconf again
  • Mergeable - Can manually merge changes if needed

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See Also

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