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Date: Fri, 08 May 2009 13:23:17 +0200
From: Peter Oberparleiter <oberpar@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
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To: Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>
CC: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>,
       Andi Kleen <andi@firstfloor.org>, Huang Ying <ying.huang@intel.com>,
       Li Wei <W.Li@Sun.COM>, Michael Ellerman <michaele@au1.ibm.com>,
       Rusty Russell <rusty@rustcorp.com.au>, Sam Ravnborg <sam@ravnborg.org>,
       Jeff Dike <jdike@addtoit.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/4] kernel: constructor support
References: <20090507124556.041286732@linux.vnet.ibm.com>  <20090507124557.003153444@linux.vnet.ibm.com>  <20090507125332.GM28398@elte.hu> <4A02E445.7070201@linux.vnet.ibm.com> <20090507134813.GO28398@elte.hu>
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Ingo Molnar wrote:
> * Peter Oberparleiter <oberpar@linux.vnet.ibm.com> wrote:
>> Ingo Molnar wrote:
>>> * Peter Oberparleiter <oberpar@linux.vnet.ibm.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Disable constructor support for usermode Linux to prevent conflicts
>>>> with host glibc.
>>>> +++ linux-2.6.30-rc4/init/Kconfig
>>>> @@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ config DEFCONFIG_LIST
>>>>  	default "$ARCH_DEFCONFIG"
>>>>  	default "arch/$ARCH/defconfig"
>>>>  +config CONSTRUCTORS
>>>> +	bool
>>>> +	depends on !UML
>>>> +	default y
>>>> +
>>>>  menu "General setup"
>>> Hm, excluding UML like that is sad. Is there no better solution?
>> UML is excluded because in that environment constructors are 
>> called by the host glibc, so there is no need for kernel support 
>> on UML (in fact it would break things).
>>
>> Or were you referring to the actual way the exclusion is 
>> implemented?
> 
> the way it's done is OK (there's really just UML in this situation), 
> but the question is really, shouldnt it be possible to coverage-test 
> UML instances 'from the inside'?

 From a mere gcov perspective, coverage-testing from the outside is 
superior because that is the way it was meant to be run in the first place.

> 
> Plus, if any other kernel facility grows out of this or makes use of 
> it, UML will be left out in the cold.

I'm afraid that trying to over-engineer the gcov-kernel mechanism at 
this time might serve neither the gcov-kernel users, nor potential new 
users. Once the base is established, it will be far easier to decide 
which other purposes the infrastructure can serve (without completely 
bending it).