netdev - Re: [RFC net-next 00/28] ndo

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Date:   Sun, 08 Nov 2020 13:21:24 +0200
From:   Kalle Valo <kvalo@...eaurora.org>
To:     Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>
Cc:     Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...nel.org>, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
        Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-wireless@...r.kernel.org, bridge@...ts.linux-foundation.org,
        linux-hams@...r.kernel.org, Christoph Hellwig <hch@....de>,
        Alexander Viro <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>,
        Johannes Berg <johannes@...solutions.net>,
        Andrew Lunn <andrew@...n.ch>,
        Heiner Kallweit <hkallweit1@...il.com>
Subject: Re: [RFC net-next 00/28] ndo_ioctl rework

Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org> writes:

>> For the wireless drivers, removing the old drivers
>> instead of just the dead code might be an alternative, depending
>> on whether anyone thinks there might still be users.
>
> Dunno if you want to dig into removal with a series like this, 
> anything using ioctls will be pretty old (with the exception 
> of what you separated into ndo_eth_ioctl). You may get bogged 
> down.

I would very much like to get rid of unused ancient wireless drivers but
the problem is that it's next to impossible to know if someone still
uses a driver, or if the driver is even working. For example, few months
back I suggested removing one driver which I thought to be completely
unused (forgot already the name of the driver) and to my big surprise
there was still a user, and he reported it working with a recent kernel
release.

So I don't know what to do. Should we try adding a warning like below? :)

  "This ancient driver will be removed from the kernel in 2022, but if
   it still works send report to <...@...> to avoid the removal."

How do other subsystems handle ancient drivers?

-- 
https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/list/

https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/developers/documentation/submittingpatches