Use the kernels merge_config.sh instead of generate-config.pl

[deliciouslytyped]

Per information I've been given, we should probably be using https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/60bef52c7a68257048f34ce32b8300def71a3de0/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh to merge our extra kernel configuration options into the kernel configuration, instead of whatever we do in generate-config.pl.

Is there any reason this was avoided or is it coincidental?
cc @teto @infinisil @edolstra

I'm told generate-config is naive and it's an existing problem that dependencies of settings will not be enabled when you enable a setting, leading to somewhat obscure errors mostly of the form:

Error in reading or end of file.

when configuring the kernel, in the linux-config derivation.

Edit:
I wouldn't call it naive, I am sure that these problems can be fixed with the script. The actual issue is the dependency handling, so that should be fixed. Whether it is done by changing the script for fixing the current one doesn't matter.

[deliciouslytyped]

Eelco has observed generate-config appears to predate merge_config.sh.

[stale]

I marked this as stale due to inactivity. → More info

[lovesegfault]

Not stale, getting rid of generate-config.pl would make enabling LTO'd kernels easier.

[lovesegfault]

I'm working on this during OceanSprint and it's highly nontrivial, the issue being that merge_config.sh doesn't support the autoModules thing we use, which happens to be load-bearing.

Without autoModules nothing works and work is needed to refactor commonConfig to also enable all the dependencies for what it needs.