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SubjectRe: New information on the CIPE problem (compiler conflicts)
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> I am sorry, gentlemen, but you have to compile all the kernel
> with uniform options and with one flavor of compiler, if this choice
> really introduces difference in structures: that's right fix.

The problem is that if we let all these subtle differences through
means we don't even have a well-defined kernel-module ABI unless
everything was compiled at once. Consequently we can forget about
externally compiled modules at all.

I've always had the impression that some perhaps important people fail
to see the need for modules, much more for external modules. It would
be a very unfortunate side-effect of the new crypto regulations if
those people now say, "it's okay, you can integrate everything into
the kernel and the last reason for us to tolerate modules is gone".
That would not be good for development on (sometimes big) projects
like ALSA or lm-sensors.

Such projects depend on the ability to compile external modules, and
that depends on an ABI that doesn't change while running(*). Because
some things have to be reproduced exactly, there must be a means of
_knowing_ them exactly. This works for the config options (sort of -
MODVERSIONS or similar functionality really ought to be non-optional),
but we already have to jump through much too many hoops to reproduce
the compiler options command line - the "make dep" procedure of the
kernel should write a Makefile fragment in the include tree which can
be used by every module, and if that includes checking compiler
versions and binutils versions down to the 10h decimal place, let's
record this too.

I'd rather prefer we draft a complete definition on what comprises the
kernel-module ABI, and what it allowed to change it, with the latter
list as short as possible, and a fixed procedure for compiling
modules.

Olaf

(*) yes, if it changes just from updating a tool (compiler) while
running this is "change while running" in my book.


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