Static Linux kernels on desktops and laptops

[plus]

It's a kind of a ritual, maybe a kind of a relic?

When I get a new notebook, I start a fresh kernel .config and try to get all needed modules compiled-in. After some iterations, only some hardly ever used modules (like xfs support) are left and I'm happy. 

At times, this provided faster boot times didn't need an initrd at all.

 

But is there still a point of a static kernel - on nowadays's laptop/desktop systems?

For some years now, I keep Intel nic drivers as modules for proper unloading and power saving. Mute and speaker LEDs only seem to work with ALSA compiled as a module (had to introduce initrd lines in my grub config on Thinkpads ~10y ago). initrd is now needed to contain all kinds of microcode and binary firmware.initramfs-tools are easy to work with and it doesn't make the system faster.

Security was an issue. Until modules could be signed, it was easier to keep track of a single file.

... and they are not experimental any more, practically all distros use modules heavily, even for ata and rootfs filesystems.

 

There's still a point in disabling debug functions and symbols, that distros keep on despite vanilla's recommendations. Smaller kernel and smaller initrd boot faster.

Re-building the kernel with cflags for the actual machine and its architecture doesn't depend on modules. There's still headroom against distros.

 

It might be beneficial to disable certain drivers (mei*, cpuid, egpu drivers of iommu devices), still, a simple blacklist is more flexible than recompiling.

Another benefit was, that I only had to handle one file to backup my kernel. This was useful for building with "make bzimage", now there's "make bindeb-pkg" and "make binrpm-pkg" for a manageable package.

 

So, is there anything left in the "pro static kernel" corner, that's valid today? Any problem with modules that isn't solved (for desktops/laptops)?

 

 

[Sauron]

For the vast majority of people the default kernel that comes with their distro of choice is going to be just fine. For an embedded device with little processing power and no need to ever update the kernel it may make more sense to build it statically with everything you need and call it a day.

[Lukyp]

Mh no? Is there any need aside embedded devices to have half a millisecond difference in boot?

In 2020 I suppose everyone has an SSD 

[Ralphred]

On 6/25/2020 at 4:36 PM, plus said:

So, is there anything left in the "pro static kernel" corner, that's valid today? Any problem with modules that isn't solved (for desktops/laptops)?

Only security, some rootkits install and run thier own modules, if you have a static kernel without loadable module support then this can't happen.

Sucks to be an nivida user at that point though...