Re: [PATCH 00/10 net-next] Convert CONFIG_IPV6 to built-in and remove stubs

[Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzk@kernel.org>]

On 16/03/2026 12:10, Vlastimil Babka wrote:
> On 3/16/26 11:33, Krzysztof Kozlowski wrote:
>> On 16/03/2026 11:24, Lorenzo Stoakes (Oracle) wrote:
>>>
>>> If I'm wrong and somehow Amiga isn't legacy in 2026, then SAY SO instead of
>>> giving an unnecessarily mean, dismissive and frankly embarassing response
>>> like the above.
>>
>> Calling something legacy in this thread is not really appropriate
>> because it is diminishing its important or requirements.
>>
>> Till we support given hardware, we are supposed to consider its
>> requirements. If you do not consider these requirements, then you do not
>> consider that hardware as worth being supported and this means you
>> should first propose patch to remove that hardware.
> 
> I don't think it's so binary. AFAIU (and recall also Linus saying that) it's
> ok to make things less optimal for older/less common hardware, if that's the
> cost to make the kernel better for the major ones. So that's why we're e.g.
> discussing removing CONFIG_HIMEM which could limit how much physical RAM
> some 32bit  architectures can use. Or we can have new features e.g. 64-bit only.
> 
> We can call that older/less common hardware "legacy" or "museum" or
> whatever, I wouldn't say it's diminishing it, just stating a fact.

Yes. Amiga was the first thing I poked to discuss affecting less capable
hardware. But we could also talk about ARM 32-bit, which is not yet
considered "legacy" because new hardware is being manufactured and sold.
Legacy in a meaning we do consider its requirements/support.

> 
> Of course the devil is in the details so that probably to some extent
> depends on what exactly you mean as "requirements" above. AFAIU the
> conclusion here was already that ipv6=m isn't consired one for Amiga to
> stay, and it's enough to have ipv6=n there.
> 

Yes, and other replies (parallel threads) also provide context and
arguments why most, not all though, distros don't even use IPV6=m, while
they are making everything else modules by default.

Best regards,
Krzysztof