Re: PATCH [0/3]: Simplify the kernel build by removing perl.

H. Peter Anvin
2009-01-03T23:04:14Z

Leon Woestenberg wrote:
>
> I agree with Rob that the amount of required dependencies should be
> kept to a minimum.
>
> If we only use 0.5% of a certain language (or: dependent package),
> then rather implement that 0.5% in the existing language.
>
> Dependencies very quickly become dependency hell. If A requires B,
> then A also inherits all (future) requirements of B, etc. etc.
>
> In my daily software development work with Linux and GNU software in
> general, 10% of it is spent fighting/removing these extremely "thin"
> or false depencies, so that it is usuable in embedded devices.
>

First of all, I largely consider this a joke. All real-life embedded
kernel builds take place on hosted platforms; anything else seems to be
done "just because it can be done", as a kind of show-off art project.
Cute, but hardly worth impeding the rest of the kernel community for.

We're not talking about general platform dependencies here, but build
dependencies for the kernel. A platform that can build the kernel is
not a small platform.

Second of all, these patches are not fullworthy replacements. The
original patch using bc had less dependencies, but bc failed on some
platforms, mysteriously. The new patches have *more* environmental
dependencies than that ever did.

Third, if someone actually cares to do it right, I have a smallish
bignum library at http://git.zytor.com/?p=lib/pbn.git;a=summary that
might be a starting point.

-hpa

--
H. Peter Anvin, Intel Open Source Technology Center
I work for Intel. I don't speak on their behalf.