linux-kernel - Re: Fix powerTOP regression with 2.6.39-rc5

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Date:	Fri, 6 May 2011 13:51:29 -0700
From:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
To:	Steven Rostedt <rostedt@...dmis.org>
Cc:	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...ux.intel.com>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>,
	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Frederic Weisbecker <fweisbec@...il.com>,
	Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>
Subject: Re: Fix powerTOP regression with 2.6.39-rc5

On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 1:20 PM, Steven Rostedt <rostedt@...dmis.org> wrote:
>
> I strongly NACK this!

Doesn't matter.

Binary compatibility is more important.

And if binaries don't use the interface to parse the format (or just
parse it wrongly - see the fairly recent example of adding uuid's to
/proc/self/mountinfo), then it's a regression.

And regressions get reverted, unless there are security issues or
similar that makes us go "Oh Gods, we really have to break things".

I don't understand why this simple logic is so hard for some kernel
developers to understand. Reality matters. Your personal wishes matter
NOT AT ALL.

If you made an interface that can be used without parsing the
interface description, then we're stuck with the interface. Theory
simply doesn't matter.

You could help fix the tools, and try to avoid the compatibility
issues that way. There aren't that many of them.

                         Linus
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