This is the documentation for the latest (main) development branch of Zephyr. If you are looking for the documentation of previous releases, use the drop-down menu on the left and select the desired version.

Configuration System (Kconfig)

The Zephyr kernel and subsystems can be configured at build time to adapt them for specific application and platform needs. Configuration is handled through Kconfig, which is the same configuration system used by the Linux kernel. The goal is to support configuration without having to change any source code.

Configuration options (often called symbols) are defined in Kconfig files, which also specify dependencies between symbols that determine what configurations are valid. Symbols can be grouped into menus and sub-menus to keep the interactive configuration interfaces organized.

The output from Kconfig is a header file autoconf.h with macros that can be tested at build time. Code for unused features can be compiled out to save space.

The following sections explain how to set Kconfig configuration options, go into detail on how Kconfig is used within the Zephyr project, and have some tips and best practices for writing Kconfig files.

Users interested in optimizing their configuration for security should refer to the Zephyr Security Guide’s section on the Hardening Tool.