linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] x86: remove orphan header file e820.h

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Message-ID: <4f2c331fc758402fa662ad5bf4a2293c@huawei.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2025 09:26:31 +0000
From: duchangbin <changbin.du@...wei.com>
To: Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>
CC: duchangbin <changbin.du@...wei.com>, 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" <x86@...nel.org>, "H. Peter
 Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>, "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org"
	<linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] x86: remove orphan header file e820.h

Hi, Ingo,
On Tue, Apr 22, 2025 at 08:56:49AM +0200, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> 
> * Changbin Du <changbin.du@...wei.com> wrote:
> 
> > The header arch/x86/include/uapi/asm/e820.h isn't used by any source file any
> > more. The e820 related items are defined in arch/x86/include/asm/e820/types.h.
> > So clean it up.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Changbin Du <changbin.du@...wei.com>
> > ---
> >  arch/x86/include/uapi/asm/e820.h | 82 --------------------------------
> >  1 file changed, 82 deletions(-)
> >  delete mode 100644 arch/x86/include/uapi/asm/e820.h
> 
> This is part of the specification of the bootloader protocol between 
> bootloaders and the Linux kernel and thus should not be removed.
> 
> The kernel has its internal types that adhere to the same 
> specification, but that's not grounds to remove this header.
>
Regarding the e820 definitions used in the boot protocol, the main components
involved are 'struct boot_params::e820_table' and the SETUP_E820_EXT node. Both
of these utilize the 'struct boot_e820_entry' defined in arch/x86/include/uapi/asm/setup_data.h,
which is also part of the UAPI.

The header arch/x86/include/uapi/asm/e820.h is not referenced by boot protocol
definitions. In this scenario, can the header file arch/x86/include/uapi/asm/e820.h
be safely removed?

> Thanks,
> 
> 	Ingo
> 

-- 
Cheers,
Changbin Du