Re: RFC: [2.6 patch] disallow modular IPv6

From: Jan Evert van Grootheest
Date: Mon Sep 29 2003 - 09:30:35 EST


Arnaldo,

I guess I am one of those I-wanna-triple-my-kernel-performance-
by-compiling-the-kernel-for-exactly-what-I-have hordes. Although I don't think it actually triples my kernel performance ))-:
Those people anyway recompile the kernel if they want some feature (un)included.

And I'd say RTM (ah, that should be RTH -- Read The Help) if they don't understand it. It's what I do.
I would expect those that know enough to reconfigure the kernel also know enough to understand the help that will undoubtedly be provided with this option?

-- Jan Evert

Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo wrote:

Em Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 10:02:55AM +0100, David Woodhouse escreveu:
On Sun, 2003-09-28 at 21:32 -0300, Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo wrote:
Em Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 02:14:39AM +0200, Adrian Bunk escreveu:
On Sun, Sep 28, 2003 at 08:39:10PM -0300, Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo wrote:
What about the following solution (the names and help texts for the
config options might not be optimal, I hope you understand the
intention):

config IPV6_SUPPORT
bool "IPv6 support"

config IPV6_ENABLE
tristate "enable IPv6"
depends on IPV6_SUPPORT

IPV6_SUPPORT changes structs etc. and IPV6_ENABLE is responsible for ipv6.o .

Humm, and the idea is? This seems confusing, could you elaborate on why such
scheme is a good thing?

The idea is that you then have ifdefs on CONFIG_IPV6_SUPPORT not on
CONFIG_IPV6_MODULE.


That part I understood :)


The underlying point being that your static kernel should not change if
you change an option from 'n' to 'm'.


But that will only happen if CONFIG_IPV6_SUPPORT is always enabled, no?


It should only affect the kernel image if you change options to/from 'y'.


That is a good goal, yes, so lets remove all the ifdefs around EXPORT_SYMBOL,
etc, i.e.: add bloat for the simple case were I want a minimal kernel.

Humm, so the user will have, in this case, these choices:

1. "I don't want IPV6 at all, not now, not ever":
CONFIG_IPV6_SUPPORT=N
CONFIG_IPV6=N (this is implicit as this depends on
CONFIG_IPV6_SUPPORT)

2. "I think I may well want it the future, who knows? but not now...":
CONFIG_IPV6_SUPPORT=Y
CONFIG_IPV6=N

3. "Nah, some of the users of this pre-compiled kernel will need it":
CONFIG_IPV6_SUPPORT=Y
CONFIG_IPV6=M

4. "Yeah, IPV6 is COOL, how can somebody not use this piece of art?":
CONFIG_IPV6_SUPPORT=Y
CONFIG_IPV6=Y

Isn't this confusing for the I-wanna-triple-my-kernel-performance-by-compiling-
the-kernel-for-exactly-what-I-have hordes of users?

- Arnaldo
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