Re: [RFC: 2.6 patch] kernel/sys.c: possible cleanups

Arjan van de Ven
2006-05-01T07:39:12Z

> > We have a process for the latter. And even if we ignore that process, the
> > patch ends up sitting in -mm for ages because of the API change, along with
> > the cleanups, which could be merged up promptly.
>
> The problem is that we have a lack of a process at the other end:
>
> There is no process to review added exports.
>
> And there are so many exports added with "we will soon use them".

.. and many never will, leading to about 900 unused ones, each taking
quite a bit of space.

Some are really stupid (eg sys_openat export is just braindead, sys_open
was temporarily exported until all in-kernel users were switched over to
the firmware loading api, sys_openat seems to just have blindly copied
this without thinking)

> If removing exports requires a process, adding exports requires a
> similar process.

alternatively we should bite the bullet, and just stick those 900 on the
"we'll kill all these in 3 months" list, have a thing to disable them
now via a config option (so that people actually notice rather than just
having them in the depreciation file) and fix the 5 or 10 or so that
actually will be used soon in those 3 months.