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

Arjan van de Ven
2006-05-01T09:06:38Z

On Mon, 2006-05-01 at 10:59 +0200, Adrian Bunk wrote:
> On Mon, May 01, 2006 at 12:49:25AM -0700, Andrew Morton wrote:
> > Arjan van de Ven <arjan@infradead.org> wrote:
> > >
> > > > 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.
> > >
> >
> > I'd instead suggest that we implement a new EXPORT_SYMBOL_UNEXPORT_SCHEDULED
> > (?) and use that. Suitable compile-time and modprobe-time warnings would
> > be needed. Put the unexport date in a comment at the
> > EXPORT_SYMBOL_UNEXPORT_SCHEDULED site or even in the modprobe-time warning
> > message, if that's convenient:
> >
> > EXPORT_SYMBOL_UNEXPORT_SCHEDULED(foo, "Dec 2006");
>
> __deprecated_for_modules already does everything required for compile
> time warnings.

it's wrong level though; it works on the prototype not on the export
itself

> So the work would expand to:
> - writing 200 feature-removal-schedule.txt entries
> - marking 200 functions and variables as __deprecated_for_modules

not really; all one needs is 1 entry in f-r-s covering all 900 exports
and 2 actions: 1) mark those 900 as unused now, and 2) remove those 900
lines a few months from now