Re: [RFC PATCH] feature-removal: add documentation for exportedsymbols going away

From: Harvey Harrison
Date: Wed Feb 13 2008 - 17:42:49 EST


On Thu, 2008-02-14 at 00:34 +0200, Adrian Bunk wrote:
> On Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 02:22:06PM -0800, Harvey Harrison wrote:
> > +
> > +What: __inet_hash_connect
> > +Where: net/ipv4/inet_hashtables.c
> > +When: 2.6.28
> > +Why: No in tree users
> > +
> > +---------------------------
> > +
> > +What: io_delay_type
> > +Where: arch/x86/kernel/io_delay.c
> > +When: 2.6.28
> > +Why: No in tree users
> > +
> > +---------------------------
> >...
>
> NAK.
>
> It's a well-known and documented fact that we not have a stable API for
> modules.
>
> And as long as we anyway break the modules API in so many other cases
> with each kernel release there's simply no point in not removing exports
> immediately.
>
> Oh, and for increasing the amount of nonsense even further, you should
> explain why unused exports that just sneaked into 2.6.25-rc1 must be
> shipped in 4 stable kernels before they can be removed.
>

Without comment on the validity of the exports themselves, I was more
interested in the principle of announcing these removals, and if it
was wanted.

Cheers,

Harvey

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