Re: [PATCH 1/2] x86_64_defconfig: Normalize x86_64 defconfig

From: Geert Uytterhoeven
Date: Tue Dec 03 2019 - 05:01:08 EST


Hi Krzysztof,

On Tue, Dec 3, 2019 at 10:26 AM Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzk@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Dec 2019 at 17:05, Enric Balletbo i Serra
> <enric.balletbo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > On 3/12/19 3:15, Krzysztof Kozlowski wrote:
> > > On Tue, 3 Dec 2019 at 05:18, Enric Balletbo i Serra
> > > <enric.balletbo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> make savedefconfig result in some difference, lets normalize the
> > >> defconfig
> > >>
> > >
> > > No, for two reasons:
> > > 1. If running savedefconfig at all, split reordering items from
> > > removal of non needed options. This way we can see exactly what is
> > > being removed. This patch moves things around so it is not possible to
> > > understand what exactly you're doing here...
> >
> > Ok, makes sense, I can do it, but if you don't really care of having the
> > defconfig sync with the savedefconfig output for the below reasons or others,
> > that's fine with me.
> >
> > The reason I send the patch is because I think that, at least on some arm
> > defconfigs, they try to have the defconfig sync with the savedefconfig output,
> > the idea is to try to make patching the file easier, but I know this is usually
> > a pain.
>
> Till I saw DEBUG_FS removal and Steven's answer, I was all in in such
> patches from time to time. However now I think it's risky and instead
> manual cleanup of non-visible symbols is better.

IMHO, it's the maintainer's responsibility to refresh the defconfig(s)
regularly, from known good config(s).

I.e. you start from a known good .config, run "make oldconfig", verify
the changes by comparing the .config before/after, and run "make
savedefconfig" afterwards.

You do not run blindly "make <my>_defconfig && make savedefconfig", as
that means you'll miss out on new options you may want, and will loose
old options that are no longer selected by other options.

Gr{oetje,eeting}s,

Geert

--
Geert Uytterhoeven -- There's lots of Linux beyond ia32 -- geert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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