configuring linux kernel with (hard-loaded, built in) currently loaded modules

Question

I want to build from source a recent Linux kernel (e.g. 4.13.4 in end of september 2017) on my Debian/Sid/x86-64 with all (or most) currently loaded modules configured as hard-built in the new kernel.

^{(I believe that I have read something like this somewhere, but can't remember where and can't find it)}

It would be some make configfromloadedmodules (but of course it is not exactly configfromloadedmodules makefile target, but some other target that I did not easily find).

That is, for most (ideally all) currently loaded modules (as given by lsmod) it would answer Y (not m) for each of them at make config time and give me some good enough .config; but I don't want a bloated kernel with all drivers -even those that I don't use and which are not currently loaded- built in.

Does that exist, or was what I have probably read some wish or some non standard feature of experimental kernels?

This would avoid any initrd thing and give me a kernel suited for my hardware and habits.

The current kernel is a standard Debian one 4.12.0-2-amd64, so I have its /boot/config-4.12.0-2-amd64 (so I want to automatize the replacement of CONFIGxxx=m with CONFIGxxx=y there, according to the currently loaded modules, e.g. as given by lsmod).

See also this answer; I still believe that device trees are not essential to Linux, but they are a useful convenience.

A near variant of my question is how to easily configure a kernel, suited to my computer and hardware and set-up, without ìnitrd, without any modules (e.g. with CONFIG_MODULES=n) and without (or with very few) useless drivers, which would work as nicely as my current Debian kernel.

Answer 1

I believe, you should read about "make localmodconfig" and "make localyesconfig" and use one as per your requirement.

This, This and This are helpful links.