From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Mauro Carvalho Chehab Subject: Re: A generic kernel compatibilty code Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:16:39 -0200 Message-ID: <20091120191639.263714e2@pedra> References: <43e72e890911201245r4de5b039hb2dd5011dabf2399@mail.gmail.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-wireless , netdev@vger.kernel.org To: "Luis R. Rodriguez" Return-path: In-Reply-To: <43e72e890911201245r4de5b039hb2dd5011dabf2399@mail.gmail.com> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-Id: netdev.vger.kernel.org Hi Luis, Em Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:45:51 -0800 "Luis R. Rodriguez" escreveu: > Everyone and their mother reinvents the wheel when it comes to > backporting kernel modules. It a painful job and it seems to me an > alternative is possible. If we can write generic compatibilty code for > a new routine introduced on the next kernel how about just merging it > to the kernel under some generic compat module. This would be > completey ignored by everyone using the stable kernel but can be > copied by anyone doing backport work. > > So I'm thinking something as simple as a generic compat/comat.ko with > compat-2.6.32.[ch] files. > > We've already backported everything needed for wireless drivers under > compat-wireless under this format down to even 2.6.25. I volunteer to > be the sucker for this if this is reasonable and given the shot to try > it. > We have several backport stuff at our development tree, that works for V4L/DVB up to kernel 2.6.16 (so, up to RHEL5). It is based on a compat.h file, plus some extra tests inside the drivers. They are at: http://linuxtv.org/hg/v4l-dvb I also started working on a different approach of dynamically patching the drivers based on some semantic rules, parsed in perl, but I hadn't enough time to finish. If you want to take a look, it is at: http://linuxtv.org/hg/~mchehab/backport/ Cheers, Mauro