From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Neil Horman Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next] tipc: cleanup function namespace Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 07:01:22 -0400 Message-ID: <20101015110122.GD22294@hmsreliant.think-freely.org> References: <20101013162652.GF31379@hmsreliant.think-freely.org> <4CB5E79B.4060507@windriver.com> <20101013.142834.226768662.davem@davemloft.net> <20101013162035.0c2e8123@nehalam> <4CB64D7C.1080004@windriver.com> <20101014012951.GA2186@localhost.localdomain> <4CB74391.9020400@windriver.com> <20101014113320.7720828f@nehalam> <20101014214426.GA9236@windriver.com> <20101014151333.1446a90c@nehalam> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Cc: Paul Gortmaker , David Miller , netdev@vger.kernel.org, allan.stephens@windriver.com, Jon Maloy To: Stephen Hemminger Return-path: Received: from charlotte.tuxdriver.com ([70.61.120.58]:48763 "EHLO smtp.tuxdriver.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1753198Ab0JOLBb (ORCPT ); Fri, 15 Oct 2010 07:01:31 -0400 Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20101014151333.1446a90c@nehalam> Sender: netdev-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On Thu, Oct 14, 2010 at 03:13:33PM -0700, Stephen Hemminger wrote: > On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:44:27 -0400 > Paul Gortmaker wrote: > > > [Re: [PATCH net-next] tipc: cleanup function namespace] On 14/10/2010 (Thu 11:33) Stephen Hemminger wrote: > > > > > On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:53:21 -0400 > > > Paul Gortmaker wrote: > > > > > > > On 10-10-13 09:29 PM, Neil Horman wrote: > > > > > On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 08:23:24PM -0400, Paul Gortmaker wrote: > > > > >> On 10-10-13 07:20 PM, Stephen Hemminger wrote: > > > > >>> Do some cleanups of TIPC based on make namespacecheck > > > > >>> 1. Don't export unused symbols > > > > >>> 2. Eliminate dead code > > > > >>> 3. Make functions and variables local > > > > >>> 4. Rename buf_acquire to tipc_buf_acquire since it is used in several files > > > > >>> > > > > >>> Compile tested only. > > > > >>> This make break out of tree kernel modules that depend on TIPC routines. > > > > >> > > > > >> Hi Stephen, > > > > >> > > > > >> When I first started looking at TIPC code, I too came to the > > > > >> same conclusion as you did and was about to do #1,2,3 -- but > > > > >> then I was told that the exported symbols were part of an API > > > > >> and might be in use by folks here and there as per this thread: > > > > >> > > > > >> http://www.mail-archive.com/netdev@vger.kernel.org/msg30208.html > > > > >> > > > > > I think its telling the the argument in the above thread for keeping the API > > > > > were that users of it were out there and 'likely to contribute' in the future. > > > > > That thread was 3 years ago. They might be using the API from outside the > > > > > kernel tree, but they're not planning on contributing. As Christoph noted, > > > > > they're freeloaders. The community really doesn't need or want to maintain an > > > > > API like that. If these users are your customers, and removing the API is > > > > > unacceptable, perhaps its time to move the entire TIPC module out of tree. > > > > > > > > As I'd said -- I don't know what the use cases of these API users are, > > > > and so as far as I know they aren't customers either. For what it is > > > > worth, know that I personally wouldn't try and use a business case to > > > > justify a technically wrong decision here on netdev anyway. > > > > > > > > I was just describing the history of the situation, and suggesting > > > > one possible slower approach of phasing it out as a courtesy to those > > > > users, in the same way that the kernel community has extended that > > > > same courtesy with other things in feature-removal.txt > > > > > > > > In the end, since Jon is OK with the removal, and is in the process of > > > > communicating this to the API users he is aware of, I sure don't have > > > > any reason to try and save the API. If folks are good with having it > > > > just go away overnight, then great -- I'll be just as happy to see it > > > > disappear as you and Stephen. So, a long winded way of saying... > > > > > > > > Acked-by: Paul Gortmaker > > > > > > How about putting an entry in feature-removal.txt with a short (6 month) > > > window? > > > > I'm fine with that too. > > > > P. > > > > From 5a15a26de63a29fcb6cb7a7fb83b6d2fc63cbadb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 > > From: Paul Gortmaker > > Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:29:08 -0400 > > Subject: [PATCH] TIPC: Document the demise of the Native API for March 2011 > > > > The native API in the TIPC code exists as a bunch of functions > > and exported symbols that aren't actually used by any currently > > in-tree kernel code/modules. > > > > Since this code is anomalous to the general guiding principle that > > the kernel should not be libc, coverage tools and people intending > > to do general cleanups keep finding this code and suggesting that > > it be removed. > > > > It seems the right thing to do is to just finally delete it once > > and for all, after giving a reasonable window for any existing > > users to find alternative solutions to their custom use case(s). > > > > Signed-off-by: Paul Gortmaker > > --- > > Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ > > 1 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) > > > > diff --git a/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt b/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt > > index f456389..1def37e 100644 > > --- a/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt > > +++ b/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt > > @@ -573,3 +573,15 @@ Why: Hareware scan is the prefer method for iwlwifi devices for > > Who: Wey-Yi Guy > > > > ---------------------------- > > + > > +What: TIPC: Delete all code and exported symbols specific to Native API > > +When: March 2011 > > +Why: The TIPC Native API, as described here: > > + http://tipc.sourceforge.net/doc/tipc_1.7_prog_guide.html#native_api > > + is implemented by exporting a bunch of otherwise unused functions > > + for possible modular linkage by custom end-user code. This goes > > + against the general concept that the kernel should not be libc. > > + > > +Who: Paul Gortmaker > > + > > +---------------------------- > > Acked-by: Stephen Hemminger > Acked-by: Neil Horman