linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] initramfs: remove "compression mode" choice

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Date:	Fri, 11 Apr 2014 14:03:27 +0200
From:	Paul Bolle <pebolle@...cali.nl>
To:	Michael Fyles <mf@...ston.net>
Cc:	"Prasad J. Pandit" <ppandit@...hat.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] initramfs: remove "compression mode" choice

On Fri, 2014-04-11 at 12:26 +0100, Michael Fyles wrote:
> Whilst I agree (for my use-cases) with INITRAMFS_COMPRESSION and
> RD being merged, I think it has happened the wrong way round.
> 
> Commit 9ba4bcb64589 mistakenly forced the logic in usr/Makefile
> to prioritise the selection of RD options such that selecting
> more than one supported compression pretty much rail-roads you
> into having your initrd compressed with gzip. This happends
> because because suffix-y gets updated once for each supported
> compression and, by default (on x86, at least) all compressions
> are supported.
> 
> I think that either:
> 1. the options should be merged (with whatever name gets chosen)
>    and pick both the run-time supported and the build-time
>    compressions
> 2. both options should remain, with one choosing the supported
>    run-time compressions and the other choosing the build-time
>    compression
> 
> If 1 is chosen, it would be advantageous to have RD as a
> mutually-exclusive choice -- this would be the place to put all
> the help texts that your patch removes.
> 
> I currently have a patch that performs 2, if you decide that
> might be better.

This patch is a straightforward cleanup. It can't possibly change
anything for anyone.

My local .config tracks what Fedora uses for their kernel builds. I
don't think Fedora ever set one of the INITRAMFS_COMPRESSION_* options.
I didn't even knew these options became unused before grepping tree for
something entirely different.

But, of course, it's possible that 9ba4bcb64589 ("initramfs: read
CONFIG_RD_ variables for initramfs  compression") broke stuff. If so,
that should probably be fixed. But you're likely better off discussing
that with Prasad (added as Cc).


Paul Bolle

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