Re: [PATCH 0/2] irqchip: make non-modular code explicitly non-modular

[Paul Gortmaker <paul.gortmaker@windriver.com>]

[Re: [PATCH 0/2] irqchip: make non-modular code explicitly non-modular] On 12/10/2015 (Mon 09:04) Geert Uytterhoeven wrote:

> Hi Paul,
> 
> On Mon, Oct 12, 2015 at 1:05 AM, Paul Gortmaker
> <paul.gortmaker@windriver.com> wrote:

[...]

> > Paul Gortmaker (2):
> >   drivers/irqchip: make irq-renesas-intc-irqpin.c explicitly non-modular
> >   drivers/irqchip: make irq-renesas-irqc.c explicitly non-modular
> >
> >  drivers/irqchip/irq-renesas-intc-irqpin.c | 24 +-----------------------
> >  drivers/irqchip/irq-renesas-irqc.c        | 30 +-----------------------------
> >  2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 52 deletions(-)
> 
> Both of these are "external interrupt controllers", meaning that on some boards
> they are used to handle only interrupts from external devices (e.g. Ethernet),
> which is optional.
> 
> Hence IMHO the bool should be changed to tristate instead.

So, at the risk of repeating myself -- changing to tristate widens the
scope on build coverage and everything else.  When I did this for a
staging driver, I got caught in symbols that were not exported.  Not
critically complex, but it does show that allowing a new config option
can make things break.  Hence keeping the support matrix the same is
table stakes to allow me to make this tree wide update in a way that
scales.

As the changes I propose do not change the runtime, I think that the
verification of the extension of functionality lies on those who think
moving these drivers from bool to tristate is a genuine value add.

If for no other reason, it at least does keep a bisect honest in showing
where existing functionality broke vs. added functionality brought in
new breakage.

Paul.
--

> 
> Gr{oetje,eeting}s,
> 
>                         Geert
> 
> --
> Geert Uytterhoeven -- There's lots of Linux beyond ia32 -- geert@linux-m68k.org
> 
> In personal conversations with technical people, I call myself a hacker. But
> when I'm talking to journalists I just say "programmer" or something like that.
>                                 -- Linus Torvalds