Re: Should MODULE_DESCRIPTION be mandatory ?

From: Sam Ravnborg
Date: Wed Apr 15 2009 - 17:19:43 EST


On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 02:15:50PM -0700, Randy Dunlap wrote:
> Sam Ravnborg wrote:
> > On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 01:11:46PM +0200, devzero@xxxxxx wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> some time ago i spotted that around 20% of the Linux modules lacking a MODULE_DESCRIPTION field. ( http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10770 )
> >>
> >> I think it`s not a practicable approach to get this fixed by some single person digging trough all the modules.
> >> If itÅs fixed for a kernel release, one year later there would be another bunch of new modules lacking the description field again.
> >>
> >> What about a build-time or run-time warning for missing MODULE_DESCRIPTION ? (as it exists for MODULE_LICENSE in modpost.c)
> >
> >
> > You mean something like the following untested patch?
> > If it works what is the output for an allmodconfig build?
> >
> > Sam
> >
> > diff --git a/scripts/mod/modpost.c b/scripts/mod/modpost.c
> > index 8cc7061..5317d6f 100644
> > --- a/scripts/mod/modpost.c
> > +++ b/scripts/mod/modpost.c
> > @@ -1553,6 +1553,7 @@ static void read_symbols(char *modname)
> > const char *symname;
> > char *version;
> > char *license;
> > + char *description;
> > struct module *mod;
> > struct elf_info info = { };
> > Elf_Sym *sym;
> > @@ -1584,6 +1585,11 @@ static void read_symbols(char *modname)
> > license = get_next_modinfo(info.modinfo, info.modinfo_len,
> > "license", license);
> > }
> > + description = get_modinfo(info.modinfo, info.modinfo_len, "description");
> > + if (info.modinfo && !description && !is_vmlinux(modname))
> > + warn("modpost: missing MODULE_DESCRIPTION() in %s\n"
> > + "see include/linux/module.h for "
> > + "more information\n", modname);
> >
> > for (sym = info.symtab_start; sym < info.symtab_stop; sym++) {
> > symname = info.strtab + sym->st_name;
> > --
>
> on x86_64 allmodconfig (2.6.30-rc2), here are the "missing"s that are reported:
>
> WARNING: modpost: missing MODULE_DESCRIPTION() in Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs_example_explicit.o
> WARNING: modpost: missing MODULE_DESCRIPTION() in Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs_example_macros.o
> WARNING: modpost: missing MODULE_DESCRIPTION() in arch/x86/ia32/ia32_aout.o
...
We need to bring that list down before we apply the patch.
Is it worth it?

Sam
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