cp /boot/config-$(uname -r) .config make olddefconfig
If you are looking for the definitive "travel guides" (PDFs and guides) to start your own story in kernel programming, these are the most trusted sources: The Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide (LKMPG) linux kernel programming pdf github
A PDF gives you theory; GitHub gives you muscle memory. Here are the repositories you need to star and clone. cp /boot/config-$(uname -r)
The official GitHub mirror of The Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide . This is a living document. You can clone it, compile the PDF yourself using LaTeX, and even submit corrections. Step-by-step examples for Makefile s, kernel logging ( printk ), and handling /proc filesystem. This is a living document
This is the most famous, community-driven starting point for beginners. It has been kept up to date for modern 5.x and 6.x kernels.