Re: [PATCH] IPv6 can't be built as module additionally

[Andy Isaacson <adi@hexapodia.org>]

On Thu, May 20, 2004 at 03:50:42PM -0700, David S. Miller wrote:
> On Fri, 21 May 2004 00:16:06 +0200 (CEST)
> Jirka Kosina <jikos@jikos.cz> wrote:
> > This is because ipv6-specific functions in drivers/char/random.c 
> > are inside #ifdefs, and as random.c is almost always built directly into 
> > kernel, recompilation of whole kernel can't be avoided.
> 
> This is the smallest problem, several main kernel data structures
> change size based upon whether ipv6 has been enabled in any way
> or not.
> 
> So even with your patch, compiling ipv6 outside of the kernel will
> still not work even though it might build.

Dave, would you be opposed to making IPv6 the default, with IPv4-only a
selectable option under CONFIG_EMBEDDED or whatever umbrella "I know
what I'm doing, let me remove vital parts of the kernel" config option
is considered appropriate?

It seems that the cost of IPv6 is small enough in most scenarios that
virtually everyone should be enabling it, and those who turn it off
should be willing to turn on CONFIG_EMBEDDED or whatever the umbrella
option is called.  I note with dismay that of the 18 arch/*/defconfig
files I perused, 13 do not set CONFIG_IPV6, 3 have =m, and 2 have =y.

-andy