I'm trying to compile a Linux kernel to debug an issue I have on Arch Linux, and I was configuring modules, but I didn't know what a lot of the stuff was so I left them on.
If this kernel works I plan to keep it, but would all those extra modules slow the system down or will it load up only when they are needed?
While you won't notice any performance improvement (assuming you build your kernel with the modules you actaully require), there is some benefit in removing unneeded modules: first, it can significantly reduce the compile time and secondly, it will reduce the size of the final kernel.
Creating a .config with make localmodconfig is a good way to get your feet wet. See the Arch Wiki for the traditional compilation approach.
The modules are loaded as needed: don't worry, as there's no slowdown.
While trying to install 4.16-rc4+, I discovered a pitfall of selecting too many modules while configuring the kernel.
The resulting initramfs image, which seems to include all modules by default, is 358MB in size, which is way too big to fit in my /boot partition.
I am now on a quest to discover what magic is needed to tell update-initramfs to ignore particular modules or trees in /lib/modules/kernel-version.
MODULES=dep in /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf to reduce the number modules in your initramfs.
update-initramfs there, and versions and file-sizes aren’t easier to read when formatted as code IMO.
MODULES=dep was relevant, but not where to set it.