proc_config.gz(5)

🎀 proc_config.gz(5) — File Formats Manual 🎀

okay bestie come CLOSE, because today we're talking about /proc/config.gz, which is genuinely one of the most underrated little files in all of Linux. it's giving "receipts for your kernel" and honestly? iconic. 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

/proc/config.gz — kernel build configuration 🧚

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

💖 /proc/config.gz (as of Linux 2.6)

so. this file straight-up exposes the configuration options that were used to build the kernel you're currently running. like, the actual receipts. 👑

and it shows them in exactly the same format they'd appear in the .config file that came out of configuring the kernel — you know, with make xconfig, make config, or whatever similar thing you used. same layout, same energy.

one thing though: the file contents are compressed. so don't just cat it and expect to read it, babes, you'll get a screen of vibes and no facts. 😭 view it or search it with zcat(1) and zgrep(1) instead:

• zcat(1) — for when you want to read the whole thing
• zgrep(1) — for when you want to hunt for one specific option

also, as long as nobody's messed with this file:

/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build/.config

the contents of /proc/config.gz are the same as what you'd get from:

cat /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build/.config

no cap. same file, same truth, one's just all zipped up. 🦋

heads up: /proc/config.gz is only there if your kernel was configured with CONFIG_IKCONFIG_PROC. no config option, no file. that's the whole vibe check. 💀

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• proc(5)

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that's the whole page, bestie, you ate it. 🍓

sending you off with love from Linux man-pages 6.20, dated 2026-02-08 — mwah, go read your kernel config, it's lowkey fascinating 💜✨🎀