From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Adrian Bunk Subject: Re: [2.6 patch] kernel/audit.c: remove unused exports Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2006 00:24:09 +0100 Message-ID: <20061201232409.GL11084@stusta.de> References: <20061128012848.GW15364@stusta.de> <20061129030441.GC15364@stusta.de> <20061129074204.GA29228@suse.de> <200611291153.51966.sgrubb@redhat.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Return-path: Received: from mx1.redhat.com (mx1.redhat.com [172.16.48.31]) by int-mx1.corp.redhat.com (8.13.1/8.13.1) with ESMTP id kB1NOB05025401 for ; Fri, 1 Dec 2006 18:24:11 -0500 Received: from mailout.stusta.mhn.de (mailout.stusta.mhn.de [141.84.69.5]) by mx1.redhat.com (8.12.11.20060308/8.12.11) with SMTP id kB1NO7XP010860 for ; Fri, 1 Dec 2006 18:24:08 -0500 Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <200611291153.51966.sgrubb@redhat.com> List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: linux-audit-bounces@redhat.com Errors-To: linux-audit-bounces@redhat.com To: Steve Grubb Cc: dwmw2@infradead.org, linux-audit@redhat.com List-Id: linux-audit@redhat.com On Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 11:53:51AM -0500, Steve Grubb wrote: > On Wednesday 29 November 2006 02:42, Tony Jones wrote: >... > > > > third party modules to generate audit messages. =A0Has anything c= hanged? > > > > > > Why are these third party modules you are talking about not yet mer= ged > > > into the kernel and when will they be submitted for inclusion? >=20 > It would appear that a new audit patch to ipsec wants these and a coupl= e more=20 > things. So, at this point we should have something queued in netdev tre= e that=20 > will use these. AFAIR, this ipsec patch only adds non-modular users. > > We're talking about basic logging functionality here. >=20 > Exactly. I can see 3rd party security vendors perhaps using this interf= ace as=20 > well. I don't personally know of any that are using it, nor am I in=20 > discussions with any, but I could see them eventually finding this and = using=20 > it as they use other basic interfaces like syslog or file access. Reality has teached me that the only way to find out whether unused code=20 is really unused is to send a patch and listen whether someone is=20 screaming because he has an actual user. Then get this patch merged and=20 listen whether someone is screaming because he had an actual user. As an example, it has just turned out that at about half of the drivers=20 that were not compiling and marked as BROKEN since at least 2.6.0 had=20 patches floating around somewhere and sending a patch to remove code=20 actually brought this code back into life. We are talking about exports that are unused since they were introduced.=20 Either there are no users, or the existing users need the biggest=20 possible cluebat (removing the exports) reminding them that they should=20 get their ass up and submit their modules for inclusion in the kernel. Re-adding them when users are merged into the kernel will always be=20 trivial. > -Steve cu Adrian --=20 "Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days. "Only a promise," Lao Er said. Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed