Re: [PATCH 00/14] kconfig: streamline distro configs for testers

From: Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>
To: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@linutronix.de>,
	Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>,
	Theodore Tso <tytso@mit.edu>,
	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@infradead.org>, Greg KH <greg@kroah.com>,
	"Luis R. Rodriguez" <mcgrof@gmail.com>,
	zippel@linux-m68k.org, linux-kbuild@vger.kernel.org,
	Sam Ravnborg <sam@ravnborg.org>, Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>,
	Alan Jenkins <sourcejedi.lkml@googlemail.com>,
	Andi Kleen <andi@firstfloor.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 00/14] kconfig: streamline distro configs for testers
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:39:49 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20090821203949.GD15439@elte.hu> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <alpine.DEB.2.00.0908211631420.30182@gandalf.stny.rr.com>

* Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org> wrote:

> 
> On Fri, 21 Aug 2009, Steven Rostedt wrote:
> 
> > 
> > On Fri, 21 Aug 2009, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> > > > OK, I'll add that to my todo list. Note, it the local config is 
> > > > only as good as the starting .config. That is, it never touches =y 
> > > > settings, because it only uses loaded modules as a base. Thus if 
> > > > something is set to =y it will always be set to =y.
> > > > 
> > > > What would you have in mind. Just randomly enabling modules? If we 
> > > > enable a "y" config then the next local*config will still keep 
> > > > that set.
> > > 
> > > Why - isnt local*config picking up environmental (currently running 
> > > kernel) properties? I.e. it would always set those things that are 
> > > needed - and randomize the rest. Have i misunderstood how it works?
> > 
> > Yes, this is a simple script. The only thing it does to find out what is 
> > configured is run "lsmod". Others have tried (in vain) to be able to look 
> > into things like lspci and lsusb to figure out what options to enable, 
> > just to end up with something so complex that it doesn't work.
> 
> Just to make this clearer. Since the script only uses lsmod to 
> figure out what options are configured, only touching "=m" options 
> is safe. There's no good way to know if a "=y" option can be 
> disabled, so I just leave them as is. Unfortunatly, once you run 
> localyesconfig, the script will stop modifying it, since there are 
> no more "=m" options, nor will you have modules listed in "lsmod".

ah - indeed, i forgot that it bases its decision off /proc/config, 
if available, right?

Fair enough - forget my suggestion. It's good as-is.

	Ingo