There are a few setting that I usually change when compiling the kernel, but it has been a manual process do far. Is there a way to automate/script it so that I can run the build completely unattended?
target/linux/<platform>/config-4.X
(as I'm assuming they aren't exposed by .config for OpenWrt)
Thx, I know about this file but a single change in "make kernel_menuconfig" causes multiples changes in the file itself. I can save a diff once and apply it, but that cannot keep up with the config changes in the future.
Exactly what are you changing?
I found that Netgear R7800 with SQM performs better with a fully pre-emptable kernel and clock frequency at 1,000Hz. After configuring those two parameters, I see at least a dozen changes in the kernel config file. This is the last remaining manual step that I need to perform to build a custom firmware as I have already automated applying all the other little tweaks and patches.
Unless there is a major kernel version change, your changes to config-4.X would likely merge "cleanly" with those from master or whatever you're rebasing/merging on/with.
What jeff said and also...
Regarding HZ in general, https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/pull/1831
ARM = 1000 (by default)
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/arch/arm/Kconfig#L1478
Most of the time yes, but even within the same release some new defaults could be added that I could be missing.
Thx, but that is for a different target.
No it's not. Not 4.14 however 
Right, I missed that. It will also be in master while I am gonna stay on 18.06 for now.
git rebase master or, if you need to, git merge master
should take care of that in almost all situations. Only if there have been changes right next to the ones you've made should there be any issue. If there is, then you have the chance to make manual decisions.
This assumes that you're keeping your changes in git on your own branch, which, if you're not, I'd recommend. You might be able to get rid of all, if not most of your custom scripts.
If you want out of the box check my fork
./firstrun
./scripts/umodin.sh ( there is a single line in include/kernel-defaults.mk to call it )
that said... quilt is decent..... for flicking out stuff, removing it etc.
quilt init
quilt new 101-architecture-config-4.14-test1
quilt add target/linux/xyz/config-4.14
[ do edits ]
quilt refresh
ls ./patches
cp ./patches/101-arch.... /outsidefolder
quilt pop ( gone )
quilt push ( back again )
# make defconfig
Thx, I will take a look.