Re: [PATCH] nfsd: add a MODULE_DESCRIPTION

[Jeff Layton <jlayton@kernel.org>]

On Thu, 2023-07-20 at 20:00 -0400, Tom Talpey wrote:
> Personally I like Jeff's text. There's zero need to overthink this.
> 

It's like this patch was tailor-made for bikeshedding. ;)

Personally, I'm fine with any reasonable string here. My main concern
was just to silence the warning.

> Jul 20, 2023 7:30:34 PM Chuck Lever <cel@kernel.org>:
> 
> > On Fri, Jul 21, 2023 at 08:07:16AM +1000, NeilBrown wrote:
> > > On Thu, 20 Jul 2023, Jeff Layton wrote:
> > > > I got this today from modpost:
> > > > 
> > > >     WARNING: modpost: missing MODULE_DESCRIPTION() in fs/nfsd/nfsd.o
> > > > 
> > > > Add a module description.
> > > > 
> > > > Signed-off-by: Jeff Layton <jlayton@kernel.org>
> > > > ---
> > > > fs/nfsd/nfsctl.c | 1 +
> > > > 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
> > > > 
> > > > diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfsctl.c b/fs/nfsd/nfsctl.c
> > > > index 1b8b1aab9a15..7070969a38b5 100644
> > > > --- a/fs/nfsd/nfsctl.c
> > > > +++ b/fs/nfsd/nfsctl.c
> > > > @@ -1626,6 +1626,7 @@ static void __exit exit_nfsd(void)
> > > > }
> > > > 
> > > > MODULE_AUTHOR("Olaf Kirch <okir@monad.swb.de>");
> > > > +MODULE_DESCRIPTION("The Linux kernel NFS server");
> > > 
> > > Of 9176 MODULE_DESCRIPTIONs in Linux, 21 start with "The ".
> > > Does having that word add anything useful?
> > > Amusingly 129 end with a period.  I wonder what Jon Corbet would prefer
> > > :-)
> > 
> > The Ohio State University has set a bad precedent.
> > 
> > I think we can drop "The".
> > 
> > 
> > > A few tell us what the module does.
> > > "Measures" "Provides"....
> > > Do we want "Implements" ??
> > 
> > I don't find "Implements" to be either conventional or illuminating.
> > 
> > 
> > > 232 start "Driver " and 214 are "Driver for"....
> > > Should we have "Server for" ??
> > > 
> > > 26 start "Linux" ... which seems a bit redundant
> > >   12 contain "for Linux".  67 mention linux in some way.
> > > 28 contain the word "kernel" - also redundant.
> > > Only three (others) mention "Linux kernel"
> > 
> > One of which is the new in-kernel SMB server, interestingly.
> > 
> > I don't think "Linux kernel" or even "in-kernel" is needed here.
> > Both should be obvious from the context.
> > 
> > 
> > > drivers/pcmcia/cs.c:MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Linux Kernel Card Services");
> > > fs/ksmbd/server.c:MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Linux kernel CIFS/SMB SERVER");
> > > fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c:MODULE_DESCRIPTION("The Linux Kernel VFS interface to ORANGEFS");
> > > 
> > > hmmm..  192 contain the word "module".  Fortunately none say
> > >   "Linux kernel module for ..."
> > > I would have found that to be a step too far.
> > > 
> > > I'd like to suggest
> > > 
> > >   "Implements Server for NFS - v2, 3, v4.{0,1,2}"
> > > 
> > > But that would require excessive #ifdef magic to get right.
> > 
> > "Network File System server" works for me.
> > 
> > 
> > > A small part of me wants to suggest:
> > > 
> > >    "nfsd"
> > > 
> > > but maybe I'm just in a whimsical mood today.
> > 
> > I'm resisting the urge to add "RFCs 1813, 7530, 8881, et al."
> > Whimsy, indeed. ;-)
> > 
> > 
> > > NeilBrown
> > > 
> > > 
> > > > MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
> > > > module_init(init_nfsd)
> > > > module_exit(exit_nfsd)
> > > > -- 
> > > > 2.41.0
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > 

-- 
Jeff Layton <jlayton@kernel.org>