From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1753688AbYDSCQQ (ORCPT ); Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:16:16 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1758032AbYDSCPy (ORCPT ); Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:15:54 -0400 Received: from hpsmtp-eml16.kpnxchange.com ([213.75.38.116]:57085 "EHLO hpsmtp-eml16.kpnxchange.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1758001AbYDSCPw (ORCPT ); Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:15:52 -0400 From: Frans Pop To: Yinghai Lu Subject: Re: [PATCH] x86_64: simplify the memtest parameter setting Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:15:46 +0200 User-Agent: KMail/1.9.9 Cc: mingo@elte.hu, akpm@linux-foundation.org, tglx@linutronix.de, hpa@zytor.com, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org References: <200804181749.15782.yhlu.kernel@gmail.com> <200804190357.09243.elendil@planet.nl> In-Reply-To: <200804190357.09243.elendil@planet.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200804190415.47552.elendil@planet.nl> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 19 Apr 2008 02:15:50.0051 (UTC) FILETIME=[494C9730:01C8A1C3] Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Saturday 19 April 2008, Frans Pop wrote: > Yinghai Lu wrote: > > -config MEMTEST_BOOTPARAM > > - bool "Memtest boot parameter" > > +config MEMTEST > > + bool "Memtest" > > depends on X86_64 > > default y > > With this patch, this default no longer makes any sense. > > > help > > This option adds a kernel parameter 'memtest', which allows memtest > > - to be disabled at boot. If this option is selected, memtest > > - functionality can be disabled with memtest=0 on the kernel > > - command line. The purpose of this option is to allow a single > > - kernel image to be distributed with memtest built in, but not > > - necessarily enabled. > > - > > + to be set. > > + memtest=0, mean disabled; -- default > > + memtest=1, mean do 1 test pattern; > > + ... > > + memtest=4, mean do 4 test patterns. > > s/mean/means/ > s/; -- default/ (default)/ These are still good (IMO). > Maybe some explanation of what a "test pattern" is would be useful. > > > If you are unsure how to answer this question, answer Y. > > Also makes no sense anymore. Oops. Just see I was too fast. After reading it again I see that the y/n value is correct after all. However, it also means that the new description is probably too short. The phrase "allows memtest to be set" does not really mean anything to a user who does not know what memtest really does. It also does not explain that memtest is a boot parameter. Also, it should probably be made more explicit that no memtest is actually performed unless the memtest boot parameter is passed at the boot prompt. Looks like 4 is the maximum possible value. This should be mentioned explicitly (here as well as in Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt). Maybe something like this: This option allows a memory test to be executed when the system is booted. A memory test is only actually executed if the kernel boot parameter 'memtest' is passed. The value of that parameter is the number to times the test is performed: memtest=0: don't perform the test (default) memtest=1: perform the test once ... memtest=4: perform the test 4 times (maximum). If you are unsure how to answer this question, answer Y. Hmmm. The original description mentions "N patterns". If those patterns are actually different, then a different description is probably needed. Sorry for the confusion. Cheers, FJP