What are the pros and cons of compiling your own kernel?

[coralbond]

Im pretty new with Linux.

Im on decently old hardware. Ubuntu 10.04 had no issues detecting and installing proper drivers for all of my hardware (even wireless). I have read that people generally compile their own kernels to fix driver issues.

I can't find any literature stating why I should compile my own custom kernel as opposed to using the generic one.

[jbouzan]

Well, there are no real cons. The only problem is constructing one that can actually boot and supports all your hardware. I suppose there are a few options that decrease performance if missing, but you won't have an issue if you start from one of Pappy's kernel seeds. The pros are simply having a smaller kernel, probably with everything you use compiled in, rather than as loadable modules. So your computer loads less at boot and presumably runs faster. I've never tested if it does, I compiled my own from the start because I wanted to learn every part of Linux.

[PaulBredbury]

Pros: Flexibility and performance. Some kernel options can only be configured *before* compilation.

Cons: Tons of beginners mess it up in tons of subtle ways.

If you're "new to Linux", then I suggest you play with less system-critical packages to get comfortable