linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 00/45] C++: Convert the kernel to C++

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Message-ID: <2389650.1705102877@warthog.procyon.org.uk>
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2024 23:41:17 +0000
From: David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>
To: Arsen =?utf-8?Q?Arsenovi=C4=87?= <arsen@...sen.me>
Cc: dhowells@...hat.com, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH 00/45] C++: Convert the kernel to C++

Arsen Arsenović <arsen@...sen.me> wrote:

> >> >  (7) 'class', 'private', 'namespace'.
> >>
> >> 'class' does nothing that struct doesn't do, private and namespace serve
> >> simply for encapsulation, so I don't see why banning these is useful.
> >
> > Namespaces would lead to image bloat as they make the symbols bigger.
> > Remember, the symbol list uses up unswappable memory.
> 
> Ah, I was not aware of this restriction of the kernel (my understanding
> was that the symbol table is outside of the kernel image).  That poses a
> problem, yes.  I wonder if a big part of the symbol table (or even the
> entirety of it) could be dropped from the kernel.  I must say, I do not
> know why the kernel has it, so I cannot speak on this issue.

You need at least a partial symbol table for module loading and we also have
the symbol table optionally included for oops message generation.

David