linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2 00/10] scalable symbol flags with _

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Message-ID: <87ikgieiar.fsf@trenco.lwn.net>
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:02:52 -0600
From: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>
To: Siddharth Nayyar <sidnayyar@...gle.com>, petr.pavlu@...e.com
Cc: arnd@...db.de, linux-arch@...r.kernel.org, linux-kbuild@...r.kernel.org,
 linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, linux-modules@...r.kernel.org,
 mcgrof@...nel.org, nathan@...nel.org, nicolas.schier@...ux.dev,
 samitolvanen@...gle.com, sidnayyar@...gle.com, maennich@...gle.com,
 gprocida@...gle.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 00/10] scalable symbol flags with __kflagstab

Siddharth Nayyar <sidnayyar@...gle.com> writes:

> This patch series implements a mechanism for scalable exported symbol
> flags using a separate section called __kflagstab. The series introduces
> __kflagstab support, removes *_gpl sections in favor of a GPL flag,
> simplifies symbol resolution during module loading, and adds symbol
> import protection.

This caught my eye in passing ... some questions ...

The import protection would appear to be the real point of this work?
But it seems that you have kind of buried it; why not describe what you
are trying to do here and how it will be used?

I ask "how it will be used" since you don't provide any way to actually
mark exports with this new flag.  What is the intended usage here?

If I understand things correctly, applying this series will immediately
result in the inability to load any previously built modules, right?
That will create a sort of flag day for anybody with out-of-tree modules
that some may well see as a regression.  Is that really the intent?

Thanks,

jon