Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: 2.6.11 breaks modules gratuitously | From | John Kacur <> | Date | Fri, 18 Mar 2005 14:01:02 -0500 |
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On Fri, 2005-03-18 at 13:49, Jean Delvare wrote: > Hi Greg, > > > When you guys go on these "make needlessly global code static" kicks > > you should maybe consider that even functions that aren't currently > > used by any other area of the tree might be useful for module writers. > > > > Instead of just checking which functions are currently used by other > > parts of the kernel perhaps you should think about what makes a > > logical API and stick to that, even if not all of the functions are > > currently used. > > I'd second that. Cleanups are good and I do not deny that Adrian Bunk > has been doing a terrific work. However, unexporting or removing > functions just because they have no current user in the kernel tree is > not always a clever thing to do. Keeping things square and logical > should be taken into consideration, as should the possibility that some > function might be used outside of the kernel tree. I do *not* mean > entire interfaces only used outside of the kernel tree, because these > are highly questionable, but functions that are part of a larger set of > functions representing an interface, most of which are used inside the > kernel. In this specific case, dropping exports or removing functions > make very little sense to me and is sometimes calling for trouble, as > Greg just underlined. In some cases, the functions are likely to be > reintroduced/reexported a few months later and we certainly could use > our time in a more useful way than undoing and redoing things. > > Thanks,
So perhaps we can introduce a new term to linux kernel development, reexporting a symbol can now be known as debunking?
(sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist)
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