linux-kernel - Re: Reexport init

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Message-ID: <47C84873.4040208@redhat.com>
Date:	Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:01:23 -0500
From:	Chris Snook <csnook@...hat.com>
To:	Ioan Ionita <opslynx@...il.com>
CC:	drago01 <drago01@...il.com>,
	kernel list <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: Reexport init_mm ?

Ioan Ionita wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 9:23 AM, Chris Snook <csnook@...hat.com> wrote:
>> drago01 wrote:
>>  > init_mm is no longer exported in 2.6.25, because there are no in tree
>>  > modules that use it.
>>  > But the closed sources nvidia drivers are using it.
>>  > Is it possible to reexport this symbol to let the driver work with this kernel?
>>
>>  The fact that there are no in-tree modules that use init_mm is rather
>>  compelling evidence that it's not a necessary part of the kernel module
>>  API.  Nvidia needs to fix their code.  If this is a burden, perhaps they
>>  should publish their code under a GPLv2-compatible license so we can
>>  show them how to do it.
> 
> Publish it and get it merged so you'd have no choice but to keep the
> symbol exported in the first place?

High-performance graphics developers are pretty much the last people on 
earth I want to see writing code that calls init_mm.  These people 
patent their bugs, rather than fixing them, when they turn out to make 
things go a little faster and generate "mostly correct" results.  I 
think we have a lot to teach them about kernel driver development, 
including how to get by without init_mm being exported.

	-- Chris

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