Re: [PATCH v1] module.h: define __symbol_get_gpl() as a regular __symbol_get()

From: Andrew Kanner
Date: Thu Feb 01 2024 - 04:29:59 EST


On Thu, Feb 01, 2024 at 06:29:58AM +0100, Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 31, 2024 at 10:02:52PM +0300, Andrew Kanner wrote:
> > Prototype for __symbol_get_gpl() was introduced in the initial git
> > commit 1da177e4c3f4 ("Linux-2.6.12-rc2"), but was not used after that.
> >
> > In commit 9011e49d54dc ("modules: only allow symbol_get of
> > EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL modules") Christoph Hellwig switched __symbol_get()
> > to process GPL symbols only, most likely this is what
> > __symbol_get_gpl() was designed to do.
> >
> > We might either define __symbol_get_gpl() as __symbol_get() or remove
> > it completely as suggested by Mauro Carvalho Chehab.
>
> Just remove it, there is no need to keep unused funtionality around.
>
> Btw, where did the discussion start? I hope you're not trying to
> add new symbol_get users?
>

Of course not, no new users needed.

I haven't discussed it directly. I found the unused __symbol_get_gpl()
myself, but during investigation of wether it was ever used somewhere
found the old patch series suggested by Mauro Carvalho Chehab (in Cc).

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/5f001015990a76c0da35a4c3cf08e457ec353ab2.1652113087.git.mchehab@xxxxxxxxxx/

The patch series is from 2022 and not merged. You can take [PATCH v6
1/4] which removes the unused symbol from the link.

Or I can resend v2 with my commit msg. But not sure about how it works
in such a case - will adding Suggested-by tag (if no objections from
Mauro) with the Link be ok?

--
Andrew Kanner