linux-kernel - Re: Kconfig "softdepends" idea

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Date:	Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:33:18 +0300
From:	Felipe Balbi <balbi@...com>
To:	Sam Ravnborg <sam@...nborg.org>
CC:	Tomi Valkeinen <tomi.valkeinen@...com>,
	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	<linux-kbuild@...r.kernel.org>, "Balbi, Felipe" <balbi@...com>
Subject: Re: Kconfig "softdepends" idea

Hi,

On Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 12:24:40PM +0200, Sam Ravnborg wrote:
> > So, my idea is to have a new kind of Kconfig dependency. I'll call it
> > "softdepends" in lack of better name. A driver maintainer could use
> > "softdepends on ARCH_OMAP", instead of "depends on ARCH_OMAP", to say
> > that this driver does not actually build depend on ARCH_OMAP, but for
> > all normal purposes it does.
> > 
> > Normally, this would result in the same behavior as the normal
> > "depends", and Linus would not get a questions whether he wants to
> > enable this OMAP specific driver or not, and the driver would not be
> > visible on the menuconfig.
> > 
> > But the user could enable the driver if he explicitly so wants. Perhaps
> > a Kconfig option such as "ignore softdepends", enabling of which would
> > allow the user to enable the drivers that use softdepends. Or, maybe
> > just require the user to add the config option manually into his .config.
> 
> If I understand you correct this is already possible today without
> extending the kconfig language.
> 
> config OMAP_SPECIFIC_DRIVER
> 	depends on ARCH_OMAP || SHOW_ALL_DRIVERS
> 
> 
> If SHOW_ALL_DRIVERS are "y" then user can say "y" to the OMAP specific
> driver too, even without ARCH_OMAP being selected.

SHOW_ALL_DRIVERS might create another set of issues. If Linus isn't
taking patches removing 'depends on ARCH_OMAP' would he take patches
adding SHOW_ALL_DRIVERS ?

I think something like 'available on ARCH_OMAP' might be useful,
however. We could start converting depends on ARCH_* into available on
ARCH_* and when build testing we could:

$ make DEBUG_IGNORE_ARCH=y allmodconfig
$ make drivers/usb/host/

Would this be acceptable ?

-- 
balbi

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