Re: [PATCH 2/2] ARM: defconfig: turn off CONFIG_EXPERT

Geert Uytterhoeven
2026-01-12T16:39:09Z

Hi Arnd,

On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 at 16:35, Arnd Bergmann <arnd@kernel.org> wrote:
> From: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>
>
> Since multi_v7_defconfig is meant to be the generic defconfig, many
> users are not going to be experts and it is counterintuitive to have
> CONFIG_EXPERT enabled.
>
> This change has a couple of side-effects:
>
> - CONFIG_NAMESPACES is enabled by default. This adds about 0.2% of
> .text, but is already enabled in many board specific configs, and
> apparently a requirement for systemd, so this seems like a useful
> change.
>
> - CONFIG_DEBUG_MEMORY_INIT is enabled now, adding a tiny bit
> of code in the inittext section
>
> - CONFIG_RFKILL, CONFIG_MEDIA_SUPPORT_FILTER and various CONFIG_HID
> driver defaults change, so these have to be listed explicitly to
> maintain the previous behavior
>
> - CONFIG_SERIAL_SH_SCI_NR_UARTS=20 changes to the default value
> of 18, which I understand to be sufficient for any buard, even

board

> if all UARTS are enabled at the same time
>
> Signed-off-by: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>

Acked-by: Geert Uytterhoeven <geert+renesas@glider.be>

> --- a/arch/arm/configs/multi_v7_defconfig
> +++ b/arch/arm/configs/multi_v7_defconfig

> @@ -859,6 +857,18 @@ CONFIG_SND_SOC_WM8960=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_WM8962=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_WM8978=m
> CONFIG_SND_AUDIO_GRAPH_CARD=m
> +# CONFIG_HID_A4TECH is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_APPLE is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_BELKIN is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_CHERRY is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_CHICONY is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_CYPRESS is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_EZKEY is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_ITE is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_KENSINGTON is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_REDRAGON is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_MICROSOFT is not set
> +# CONFIG_HID_MONTEREY is not set
> CONFIG_USB=y
> CONFIG_USB_OTG=y
> CONFIG_USB_XHCI_HCD=y

I guess these should be dropped, and the Kconfig logic fixed instead?
The current "default !EXPERT" makes them default to "y", while we
probably want to default to "m" when module support is enabled.

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