linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v3 1/3] arch/x86: Rename config X86_INTEL_MEMORY_PROTECTION

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Message-ID: <1f4fa674-5709-ad88-c7ae-1bf5584a5b82@intel.com>
Date:   Tue, 12 May 2020 08:19:54 -0700
From:   Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@...el.com>
To:     Babu Moger <babu.moger@....com>, corbet@....net,
        tglx@...utronix.de, mingo@...hat.com, bp@...en8.de, hpa@...or.com,
        pbonzini@...hat.com, sean.j.christopherson@...el.com
Cc:     x86@...nel.org, vkuznets@...hat.com, wanpengli@...cent.com,
        jmattson@...gle.com, joro@...tes.org, dave.hansen@...ux.intel.com,
        luto@...nel.org, peterz@...radead.org, mchehab+samsung@...nel.org,
        changbin.du@...el.com, namit@...are.com, bigeasy@...utronix.de,
        yang.shi@...ux.alibaba.com, asteinhauser@...gle.com,
        anshuman.khandual@....com, jan.kiszka@...mens.com,
        akpm@...ux-foundation.org, steven.price@....com,
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        jgross@...e.com, andrew.cooper3@...rix.com,
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        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, kvm@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v3 1/3] arch/x86: Rename config
 X86_INTEL_MEMORY_PROTECTION_KEYS to generic x86

On 5/12/20 7:57 AM, Babu Moger wrote:
>> I was hoping to see at least *some* justification in this changelog.  Do
>> you think having "INTEL_" will confuse users?  Is there some technical
>> merit to this change?
>>
>> The naming churn is an obviously bad, not technically necessary change.
> Yes. Technically not necessary. But can cause some confusion on non-intel
> platforms.

Seriously, guys, this is buried deep in kernel code.  Who is this confusing?

To me, this is like anything else we rename in the kernel.  It causes
churn, which makes patches harder to backport for instance.  That's why
we don't rename things willy-nilly when we just don't like the names.

The naming has to cause some practical, real-world problem that we *FIX*
with the rename.

I'm just asking for a concrete, practical problem statement in the
changelog.  If there isn't one, then please don't do the rename.  The
Kconfig magic is still fine since it fixes a practical problem for end
users.