Re: EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL for __symbol_get replacing EXPORT_SYMBOL for deprecated inter_module_get

Arjan van de Ven
2005-04-13T09:56:08Z

On Wed, 2005-04-13 at 18:55 +0930, Yuri Vilmanis wrote:
> I believe that, in general, new functions which replace deprecated functions
> which were exported as EXPORT_SYMBOL, should also be exported as
> EXPORT_SYMBOL, not as EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL. The reason I say this is because
> deprecation of old functions breaks old modules and drivers that use them,
> and changing the level of GPL strictness of the function prevents these old
> modules being updated and used with newer kernels.
>
> The case in point for me is ATI's binary openGL accelerated drivers (fglrx) -
> these used inter_module_get() to communicate with the agp gart module,

except that the AGP gart module no longer uses inter_module_*

> for
> obvious reasons - this AGP communication is essential to the functionality of
> the driver.

this is thus non-obvious..

> The case of inter_module_get deprecation and replacement with symbol_get

inter_module_get is absolutely not replaced by symbol_get. They are
entirely different usages and only have a few letters in common in the
name.