Re: [PATCH] Remove silentoldconfig from "make help"; fix kconfig/conf's help

From: Masahiro Yamada
Date: Thu Jan 04 2018 - 12:22:25 EST


(+CC Michal's new address)

2017-12-19 10:26 GMT+09:00 Marc Herbert <marc.herbert@xxxxxxxxx>:
> As explained by Michal Marek at https://lkml.org/lkml/2011/8/31/189
> silentoldconfig has become a misnomer. It has become an internal
> interface and "oldconfig" is just as silent now.


Hmm, I'd like to be sure about your intention.

"oldconfig" is not silent. (nor is silentoldconfig).

When it finds a new symbol, it will show a dialog
to ask users to input a value.

"olddefconfig" is really silent
because it automatically sets new symbols to default.

I agree it is confusing due to the historical misnomer.



> It's not part of the
> user interface so remove it from "make help" to stop confusing people
> trying to use it as seen for instance at
> https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/271688
>
> On the other hand, correct and expand its description in the help of
> scripts/kconfig/conf.c
>
> Signed-off-by: Marc Herbert <marc.herbert@xxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> scripts/kconfig/Makefile | 1 -
> scripts/kconfig/conf.c | 5 ++++-
> 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
> index 297c1bf35140..bf13b8fa3ccc 100644
> --- a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
> +++ b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
> @@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ help:
> @echo ' oldconfig - Update current config utilising a provided .config as base'
> @echo ' localmodconfig - Update current config disabling modules not loaded'
> @echo ' localyesconfig - Update current config converting local mods to core'
> - @echo ' silentoldconfig - Same as oldconfig, but quietly, additionally update deps'
> @echo ' defconfig - New config with default from ARCH supplied defconfig'
> @echo ' savedefconfig - Save current config as ./defconfig (minimal config)'
> @echo ' allnoconfig - New config where all options are answered with no'
> diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/conf.c b/scripts/kconfig/conf.c


A few lines below, I see


@echo ' olddefconfig - Same as silentoldconfig but sets
new symbols to their'
@echo ' default value'


If you drop silentoldconfig help,
the "Same as silentoldconfig" is not sensible.
You need to update this line, too.

I think "Same as oldconfig but ..." will be OK.



> index 866369f10ff8..f8c002a19f62 100644
> --- a/scripts/kconfig/conf.c
> +++ b/scripts/kconfig/conf.c
> @@ -477,7 +477,10 @@ static void conf_usage(const char *progname)
> printf(" --listnewconfig List new options\n");
> printf(" --oldaskconfig Start a new configuration using a line-oriented program\n");
> printf(" --oldconfig Update a configuration using a provided .config as base\n");
> - printf(" --silentoldconfig Same as oldconfig, but quietly, additionally update deps\n");
> + printf(" --silentoldconfig Similar to oldconfig but:\n"
> + " - no re-formatting of .config when nothing's missing\n"
> + " - generates configuration in include/{generated/,config/}\n"
> + " (oldconfig used to be more verbose)\n");


What do you mean by "oldconfig used to be more verbose" ?

Did oldconfig change its behavior?

Unless I am missing something, the current behavior of "oldconfig" has
been the same
at least since the beginning of the git era.





> printf(" --olddefconfig Same as silentoldconfig but sets new symbols to their default value\n");
> printf(" --oldnoconfig An alias of olddefconfig\n");
> printf(" --defconfig <file> New config with default defined in <file>\n");
> --
> 2.9.5
>
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--
Best Regards
Masahiro Yamada