linux-kernel - Re: [patch 00/04] RFC: Staging tree (drivers/staging)

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Message-Id: <20080924180316.d6f9f85c.randy.dunlap@oracle.com>
Date:	Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:03:16 -0700
From:	Randy Dunlap <randy.dunlap@...cle.com>
To:	"Parag Warudkar" <parag.lkml@...il.com>
Cc:	"Greg KH" <gregkh@...e.de>,
	"Linus Torvalds" <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	"Andrew Morton" <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	"Andreas Gruenbacher" <agruen@...e.de>,
	"Jeff Mahoney" <jeffm@...e.de>
Subject: Re: [patch 00/04] RFC: Staging tree (drivers/staging)

On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:39:42 -0400 Parag Warudkar wrote:

> On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 7:00 PM, Greg KH <gregkh@...e.de> wrote:
> > So, does this all look good to everyone?  Any questions/issues?
> >
> 
> I sure hope this does not end up like EXPERIMENTAL although it
> essentially does duplicate the intent of EXPERIMENTAL.
> (In other words - drivers live there for ever in staging mode, we
> print warnings and generally nobody cares about the problem since the
> kernel is tainted.)
> 
> That aside please at least substitute the word CRAP with something
> better - like TAINT_NON_PRODUCTION or TAINT_UNRELIABLE or
> TAINT_WORK_IN_PROGRESS or TAINT_EXPERIMENTAL . Arguably
> TAINT_EXPERIMENTAL could also be used for known broken
> CONFIG_EXPERIMENTAL items. It might also be better to change the
> staging directory name to non-production or experimental - but that's
> just my preference.
> 
> Also, I suppose it would be useful for Production machines to have a
> kernel command line flag or something to say don't load staging
> modules - for instance to prevent against automatic loading on drivers
> from staging directory to support some oddball device etc.
> 
> Thinking more about it - could this whole thing not be achieved by
> setting per module experimental flag and refusing to insmod'ing
> experimental modules if -f was not specified. I believe force loading
> also taints the kernel? All drivers intended for staging can set that
> flag  - this way we don't need another TAINT flag and there is no need
> for the directory name hack.

Thanks.  I agree with Parag's comments.

Looks like overkill/duplication.

---
~Randy
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