linux-kernel - Re: changeset: Make forced module loading optional

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Date:	Mon, 05 May 2008 12:47:22 -0700 (PDT)
From:	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>
To:	rusty@...tcorp.com.au
Cc:	torvalds@...ux-foundation.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	jonathan@...masters.org, sam@...nborg.org
Subject: Re: changeset: Make forced module loading optional

From: Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 04:42:12 +1000

> BTW, I'm fascinated and a little nausiated that you ignore initrds.  We've 
> moved half the kernel brains to userspace with udev, initrd and modules; it's 
> really unfair that you're not sharing all that why-won't-my-machine-boot 
> love.

It's pretty straightforward, if you ask me.  I avoid initrd's like
the plague too.

Building and compressing the initrd would increase my build+reboot
cycle time by at least 40%.

Add to that it's simply an enormous pain in the ass.

And for what?  I know what freakin' drivers to build statically into
my kernel.  I use raw partitions and don't use LVM, I know what
the heck my root filesystem device is named, etc.

The only thing I get "punished" for, where I am absolutely forced to
use an initrd, is when I use qlogic SCSI for the root partition, for
the firmware which we really should have kept in the tree :(

And this is not even a "licensing" issue, like it or not in-kernel
drivers are tied to specific firmware versions both from an API and
from a testing perspective.  Externalizing this is really a nightmare.

And I'm not avoiding udev by doing this.  udev works just fine if I
raw boot a kernel with all the static devices I need to get root
mounted.  All my networking etc. is modular and udev does the right
thing.

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