[PATCH v2 2/2] docs: changes: better document Python needs

From: Mauro Carvalho Chehab
Date: Tue Jul 29 2025 - 12:44:21 EST


Python is listed as an optional dependency, but this is not
true, as:

1) arm (multi_v7_defconfig and other defconfigs) and arm64 defconfig
needs it due to DRM_MSM dependencies;

2) CONFIG_LTO_CLANG runs a python script at scripts/Makefile.vmlinux_o;

3) kernel-doc is called during compilation when some DRM options
like CONFIG_DRM_I915_WERROR are enabled;

4) allyesconfig/allmodconfig will enable CONFIG_* dependencies
that needs it;

5) besides DRM, other subsystems seem to have logic calling *.py
scripts.

So, better document that and change the dependency from optional
to mandatory to reflect the current needs.

Signed-off-by: Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab+huawei@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
Documentation/process/changes.rst | 9 ++++++++-
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/process/changes.rst b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
index bccfa19b45df..4c9088e429c8 100644
--- a/Documentation/process/changes.rst
+++ b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ Sphinx\ [#f1]_ 3.4.3 sphinx-build --version
GNU tar 1.28 tar --version
gtags (optional) 6.6.5 gtags --version
mkimage (optional) 2017.01 mkimage --version
-Python (optional) 3.9.x python3 --version
+Python 3.9.x python3 --version
GNU AWK (optional) 5.1.0 gawk --version
====================== =============== ========================================

@@ -154,6 +154,13 @@ Perl
You will need perl 5 and the following modules: ``Getopt::Long``,
``Getopt::Std``, ``File::Basename``, and ``File::Find`` to build the kernel.

+Python
+------
+
+Several config options require it: it is required for arm/arm64
+default configs, CONFIG_LTO_CLANG, some DRM optional configs,
+the kernel-doc tool, and docs build (Sphinx), among others.
+
BC
--

--
2.49.0