Re: [PATCH 2/2] sound: make OSS device number claiming optional

[Tejun Heo <teheo@suse.de>]

Alan Cox wrote:
>> I don't see how I would be able to achieve the latter with one liner.
>> Can you please elaborate a little bit?
> 
> It depends how much of a hurry you are in, but for the mainstream we can
> do this
> 
> 1.	Make soundcore also issue the request_module() as if the char
> minor was unclaimed. Mark the old one as obsolete
> 
> 2.	Wait a year while people adjust their scripts to trigger on the
> char event instead (and fix the ordering bits for ALSA if the soundcore
> docs are still valid on that)
> 
> 3.	Apply a patch which makes ALSA use char dev allocation directly
> for its OSS devices and dumps out soundcore, remove soundcore and switch
> any other code using it.

It's quite difficult to think that those now mostly unused module
alises are worth full year of waiting and careful coordination.  I
think we're chasing a non-issue here.  If it really matters, I'll try
to teach chrdev about alternative module alises.

If you think the above is a good solution, how about the following?

1. Merge the weird switch thing and the extra standard chrdev module
   alias patch

2. Add to feature-removal that snd-slot/service-* are going away in a
   year along with the weird switches.  This allows people who wish to
   try or switch in the meantime to do so.

3. After a year, drop module loading related code from sound_core
   along with the weird config option and kernel parameter.

In the end, the only choice we have to make is whether to keep
snd-slot/service-* aliases.  If we're gonna (I don't see why tho), the
cleanest way would be to teach chrdev about aliases.  If not, the best
way is to add a switch so that it can be phased out gradually.

Thanks.

-- 
tejun