Re: [PATCH v3 11/11] selftests: error out if kernel header files are not yet built

[John Hubbard]

On 12/8/23 07:21, David Hildenbrand wrote:
> On 08.12.23 16:14, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> > On Fri, Nov 03, 2023 at 01:22:54PM +0100, David Hildenbrand wrote:
> > > On 03.11.23 13:16, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> > > > On Tue, Jun 06, 2023 at 12:16:37AM -0700, John Hubbard wrote:
> > > > > As per a discussion with Muhammad Usama Anjum [1], the following is 
> > > > > how
> > > > > one is supposed to build selftests:
> > > > >
> > > > >       make headers && make -C tools/testing/selftests/mm
> > > > >
> > > > > Change the selftest build system's lib.mk to fail out with a helpful
> > > > > message if that prerequisite "make headers" has not been done yet.
> > > >
> > > > NAK NAK NAK
> > > >
> > > > This now means I can no longer run selftests, I thank you very much! 
> > > > :-/
> > > >
> > > > root@spr:/usr/src/linux-2.6# make O=defconfig-build/ -j64
> > > > make[1]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-2.6/defconfig-build'
> > > > ***
> > > > *** The source tree is not clean, please run 'make mrproper'
> > > > *** in /usr/src/linux-2.6
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I've always done:
> > > >
> > > >     cd tools/testing/selftests/x86; make
> > > >
> > > > and that has always worked
> > > >
> > > > Now I can't bloody well build *any* selftest or risk not being able to
> > > > do builds.
> > >
> > > This change landed in 6.5, no? And 6.6 was just released. Just 
> > > curious why
> > > you notice that now.
> >
> > And I hit it again (different box etc..)
> >
> > Can we please get this garbage fixed already?
>
> I'd suggest to either revert or turn into a warning.

That would put us back into a half-broken sort of situation, though...
see below.

> @John?

I don't have a strong opinion about how this should be done, and in
fact I believed at the time that I was bringing the system into
compliance with what everyone wanted here. :)

There seem to be two conflicting visions:

a) The way it was (much) earlier: use ifdefs and defines to get by
without the latest kernel headers, or

b) Requiring recent kernel headers to build the various selftests.

Shuah, Peter, others: can we choose a direction please? Either
way will work, and I personally don't care which one we choose.


thanks,
--
John Hubbard
NVIDIA