From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S275502AbTHMUc3 (ORCPT ); Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:32:29 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S275505AbTHMUc3 (ORCPT ); Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:32:29 -0400 Received: from 81-2-122-30.bradfords.org.uk ([81.2.122.30]:13442 "EHLO 81-2-122-30.bradfords.org.uk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S275502AbTHMUcY (ORCPT ); Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:32:24 -0400 Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 21:40:07 +0100 From: John Bradford Message-Id: <200308132040.h7DKe7VK002065@81-2-122-30.bradfords.org.uk> To: bunk@fs.tum.de, jgarzik@pobox.com Subject: Re: [2.6 patch] let broken drivers depend on BROKEN{,ON_SMP} Cc: davidsen@tmr.com, john@grabjohn.com, Linux-Kernel@vger.kernel.org, Riley@Williams.Name, szepe@pinerecords.com Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > > The people who want Linux to be reliable won't be compiling their own > > kernels, typically. Because, the people that _do_ compile their own > > kernels have sense enough to disable broken drivers :) That's what Red > > Hat, SuSE, and others do today. > > It occurs quite often that you need e.g. the latest -pre or -ac to > support some of your hardware. > > These are situations when an average systems administrator has to > compile his on kernel. That is true. The point is that I don't see how adding an arbitrary dependency on a CONFIG_BROKEN option actually helps in any way. Presumably a system administrator who is compiling a -pre or -ac kernel from kernel.org for a _production_ system is only going to include drivers that are actually required. If any of those don't compile, there is a problem anyway. If they are hidden under a CONFIG_BROKEN option, it's just an extra step to enable them, then compile with them enabled to get an error to post to LKML. If something is really necessary, why not simply include an ! in the description of any option that is known not to compile? John.