Messages in this thread | | | Date | Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:40:50 +0100 | From | Adrian Bunk <> | Subject | Re: [PATCH] x86/paravirt: revert exports to restore old behaviour |
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On Tue, Nov 27, 2007 at 02:57:30PM -0800, Jeremy Fitzhardinge wrote: >... > Christoph Hellwig objects to this patch on the grounds that modules > shouldn't be using these operations anyway. I don't think this is a > particularly good reason to reject the patch, for several reasons: > > 1. These operations are still available to modules when not using > CONFIG_PARAVIRT, since they are implicitly exported as inline > functions via the kernel headers. Exporting the same functionality as > GPL-only symbols just adds a gratuitious difference between > CONFIG_PARAVIRT and non-CONFIG_PARAVIRT configurations. If we really > think these operations are not for module use (or non-GPL module use), > then we should solve the problem in a general way.
Current practice in the kernel is that when something that should not be done works by chance with some kernel versions and/or configurations that's simply an unfortunate fact that should be fixed but doesn't result in any guarantee that it works with all kernel versions and/or configurations.
> 2. It's a regression from previous kernels, which would work these > modules even with CONFIG_PARAVIRT enabled. >...
It cannot be a regression since the kernel does not have a stable API for modules.
> Therefore, I think this patch should go in for 2.6.24. If people > really think that these operations should not be available to modules, > then we can address that separately. >...
Why should we start with one step back for getting two steps ahead?
cu Adrian
--
"Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days. "Only a promise," Lao Er said. Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed
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