Re: [PATCH v10 0/2] module: Extend module_blacklist parameter to built-in modules

["Gary Guo" <gary@garyguo.net>]

On Sun Sep 6, 2026 at 10:56 AM BST, Arnd Bergmann wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 6, 2026, at 02:28, Andrew Morton wrote:
>> On Fri, 4 Sep 2026 10:59:38 -0400 Aaron Tomlin <atomlin@atomlin.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> In summary, this patch brings parity between modular and built-in drivers,
>>> removes a pain point in boot-time disaster recovery, and provides users
>>> with a predictable, consistent interface.
>>
>> Really helpful, thanks.  Please add this to the [0/N] and maintain it.
>>
>> I don't really know who are the potential audience for this change, nor
>> how to attract their attention.  Greg might have some insights but he
>> wasn't cc'ed.
>>
>> Let's leave it a week to see if there's feedback then resend with these
>> adjustments?
>
> FWIW, I previously asked the same question on this series
> and still don't find the explanation lacking. Obviously,
> consistency is good, but the added complexity doesn't feel
> worth it here, given that this still has most of the same
> problems as the existing "initcall_blacklist=" option [1].

Yeah, I like the better consistency, which is why I propose unifying handling
for both built-in modules and loadable ones in
https://lore.kernel.org/all/DKNWEO3BOUOL.9COZBXZIGS6A@garyguo.net/.

IMO if we can unify them, then we get something that is both consistent and
*less* complexity.

The current solution makes thing more complex with only apparent consistency
(i.e. user observe the consistency from kernel parameter, but the internal
handling are two separate mechanisms), which should require a very strong reason
to pursue.

Best,
Gary

>
> I think patch 2/2 would be fine on its own, but for 1/2
> I have yet to see a single example of a real-world problem
> that could have been solved by this but not using
> initcall_blacklist. In distro kernels, almost everything
> is already a loadable module, while users with custom
> kernels could easily turn off the drivers they don't want
> or disable the initcall by name.
>
>       Arnd
>
> [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/78ec1da5-11ae-4c35-a08e-cc88a5d083f4@app.fastmail.com/