linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] x86: make config X86_FEATURE

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Date:   Tue, 9 May 2023 11:38:27 -0700
From:   Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@...el.com>
To:     Lukas Bulwahn <lukas.bulwahn@...il.com>
Cc:     Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        Ingo Molnar <mingo@...hat.com>, Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>,
        Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@...ux.intel.com>, x86@...nel.org,
        "H . Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>, kernel-janitors@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] x86: make config X86_FEATURE_NAMES visible with EXPERT

On 5/9/23 11:20, Lukas Bulwahn wrote:
> On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 4:07 PM Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@...el.com> wrote:
>>
>> On 5/9/23 01:40, Lukas Bulwahn wrote:
>>> Commit 6a108a14fa35 ("kconfig: rename CONFIG_EMBEDDED to CONFIG_EXPERT")
>>> introduces CONFIG_EXPERT to carry the previous intent of CONFIG_EMBEDDED
>>> and just gives that intent a much better name.
>>
>> That was quite the changelog, and I'm still not quite sure:
>>
>> What is the problem with the existing code?
>>
>> What is the end user visible impact of this problem and of this proposed
>> change?
>>
> 
> Thanks, Dave, for your feedback.
> 
> The commit message is so lengthy, as I copied it from the original
> cover letter into each commit, but I agree with your feedback.

Uhh...  *What* cover letter?  A cover letter is usually the 0/NN message
in a patch series.  It is not obvious at *all* that this plain
non-numbered patch is part of a series.

> So maybe this commit message fits better:
> 
> To simplify build configurations, the CONFIG_EMBEDDED is to be
> removed. All configs that are only visible with CONFIG_EMBEDDED=y
> shall be now visible with CONFIG_EXPERT=y.
> 
> In the x86 architecture, the config X86_FEATURE_NAMES is visible when
> CONFIG_EMBEDDED is enabled. Now, make the config X86_FEATURE_NAMES
> visible when CONFIG_EXPERT is enabled.
> 
> Dave, what do you think? If that is good enough for you, I will send
> an updated patch with that commit message.

CONFIG_EMBEDDED is being removed:

	<INSERT LINK HERE>

That means that everything in Kconfig that uses CONFIG_EMBEDDED needs to
switch over to something else.

Move X86_FEATURE_NAMES over to CONFIG_EXPERT instead of CONFIG_EMBEDDED.

--

This actually isn't _great_ for x86.  We hid X86_FEATURE_NAMES behind
EMBEDDED because we didn't want to see it 99% of the time.  But just
about everyone uses EXPERT=y, so the end result here is that everyone
will now see X86_FEATURE_NAMES.

Oh well.  It's just one Kconfig option.  Not a big deal.