From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S265093AbUG2Tsq (ORCPT ); Thu, 29 Jul 2004 15:48:46 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S265086AbUG2Tsp (ORCPT ); Thu, 29 Jul 2004 15:48:45 -0400 Received: from hera.cwi.nl ([192.16.191.8]:1447 "EHLO hera.cwi.nl") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S265093AbUG2Tsb (ORCPT ); Thu, 29 Jul 2004 15:48:31 -0400 Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 21:48:03 +0200 From: Andries Brouwer To: James Morris Cc: Andries Brouwer , Andrew Morton , dpf-lkml@fountainbay.com, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Andries.Brouwer@cwi.nl Subject: Re: [PATCH] Delete cryptoloop Message-ID: <20040729194803.GC5413@apps.cwi.nl> References: <20040729161203.GB4008@pclin040.win.tue.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Thu, Jul 29, 2004 at 01:23:35PM -0400, James Morris wrote: > On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, Andries Brouwer wrote: > > > # Part of the reason for dropping cryptoloop is to help dm-crypt > > # mature more quickly. > > > > A very strange reason. But maybe it fits in with dropping the idea > > of a stable kernel. > > Well, now that the kernel development model has changed (there may not be > a 2.7 in the forseeable future), just when do you drop buggy, unmaintained > code? Most of the kernel is buggy. Most of the kernel is unmaintained. Drop code when it has become superfluous - the same functionality is provided by other parts, less buggy, or better maintained, or with other redeeming features. (But very slowly - try to preserve kernel interface stability for several years.) Drop code when it has become superfluous - the functionality is not needed any more. Drop code when it is broken - some change somewhere broke it, and no kernel developer has the knowledge, or desire, or time, to fix it. Drop code when it has become a burden - when the need to keep it working causes complications al over the place. Andries