Re: [PATCH v3 11/11] selftests: error out if kernel header files are not yet built

John Hubbard
2023-12-08T20:30:10Z

On 12/8/23 07:21, David Hildenbrand wrote:
> On 08.12.23 16:14, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
>> On Fri, Nov 03, 2023 at 01:22:54PM +0100, David Hildenbrand wrote:
>>> On 03.11.23 13:16, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
>>>> On Tue, Jun 06, 2023 at 12:16:37AM -0700, John Hubbard wrote:
>>>>> As per a discussion with Muhammad Usama Anjum [1], the following is
>>>>> how
>>>>> one is supposed to build selftests:
>>>>>
>>>>>       make headers && make -C tools/testing/selftests/mm
>>>>>
>>>>> Change the selftest build system's lib.mk to fail out with a helpful
>>>>> message if that prerequisite "make headers" has not been done yet.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> NAK NAK NAK
>>>>
>>>> This now means I can no longer run selftests, I thank you very much!
>>>> :-/
>>>>
>>>> root@spr:/usr/src/linux-2.6# make O=defconfig-build/ -j64
>>>> make[1]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-2.6/defconfig-build'
>>>> ***
>>>> *** The source tree is not clean, please run 'make mrproper'
>>>> *** in /usr/src/linux-2.6
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I've always done:
>>>>
>>>>     cd tools/testing/selftests/x86; make
>>>>
>>>> and that has always worked
>>>>
>>>> Now I can't bloody well build *any* selftest or risk not being able to
>>>> do builds.
>>>
>>> This change landed in 6.5, no? And 6.6 was just released. Just
>>> curious why
>>> you notice that now.
>>
>> And I hit it again (different box etc..)
>>
>> Can we please get this garbage fixed already?
>
> I'd suggest to either revert or turn into a warning.

That would put us back into a half-broken sort of situation, though...
see below.

>
> @John?
>

I don't have a strong opinion about how this should be done, and in
fact I believed at the time that I was bringing the system into
compliance with what everyone wanted here. :)

There seem to be two conflicting visions:

a) The way it was (much) earlier: use ifdefs and defines to get by
without the latest kernel headers, or

b) Requiring recent kernel headers to build the various selftests.

Shuah, Peter, others: can we choose a direction please? Either
way will work, and I personally don't care which one we choose.

thanks,
--
John Hubbard
NVIDIA