From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1751242AbWDSXlN (ORCPT ); Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:41:13 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1751331AbWDSXlN (ORCPT ); Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:41:13 -0400 Received: from emailhub.stusta.mhn.de ([141.84.69.5]:20486 "HELO mailout.stusta.mhn.de") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id S1751242AbWDSXlN (ORCPT ); Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:41:13 -0400 Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 01:41:12 +0200 From: Adrian Bunk To: Ram Pai Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, akpm@osdl.org, arjan@infradead.org, greg@kroah.com, hch@infradead.org Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 1/2] Makefile: export-symbol usage report generator. Message-ID: <20060419234112.GI25047@stusta.de> References: <20060413123826.52D94470030@localhost> <20060418140927.GB11582@stusta.de> <1145489158.7323.169.camel@localhost> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <1145489158.7323.169.camel@localhost> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.11+cvs20060403 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Wed, Apr 19, 2006 at 04:25:58PM -0700, Ram Pai wrote: > On Tue, 2006-04-18 at 16:09 +0200, Adrian Bunk wrote: > > On Thu, Apr 13, 2006 at 05:38:26AM -0700, Ram Pai wrote: > > > > > I ran a report to extract export-symbol usage by kernel modules. The results > > > are at http://www.sudhaa.com/~ram/misc/export_report.txt > > > > > > The report lists: > > > 1. All the exported symbols and their usage counts by in-kernel modules. > > > 2. for each in-kernel module, lists the modules and the exported symbols > > > from those modules, that it depends on. > > > > > > Highlights: > > > On x86 architecture > > > (1) 880 exported symbols not used by any in-kernel modules. > > > (2) 1792 exported symbols used only once. > > > > > > I hope this report/tool shall help all inkernel modules to revisit their usage > > > of kernel interfaces. > > > > > > This patch integrates the report-generator into the kernel build process. After > > > applying this patch, invoke 'make export_report' and it creates the report in > > > Documentation/export_report.txt > > >... > > > > I like your patch, but I have observed two issues: > > - please don't force an allmodconfig, simply use the currently compiled > > kernel > > Looking for ideas. Its hard to extract out the imported symbols unless > they are compiled as modules. Running the report on a currently compiled > kernel will miss most of the subsystems that are not compile as modules. > Hence the report wont be complete. Any suggestions? >... - it's a tool for kernel hackers who know what they are doing - it's a tool to help you finding unused exports, but each one still requires manual verification Besides this, e.g. CONFIG_SMP=n brings you more modules and therefore a better coverage than allmodconfig. cu Adrian -- "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