> Re the discussion about etxfs, renaming ext2fs, etc.:
>
> I think the best solution would be not to remove or rename anything,
> but to change the configuration utilities so that probably obsolete
> things come by themselves at the end.
>
> Any volunteers? I don't know enough about what is still needed and
> what isn't.
>
> E.g.:
>
> Do you want to be offered features which are now
> considered obsolete? [N/y/?] ?
>
> These features are considered obsolete, and may be removed in the
> future. You'll know if you need these. Just say no.
This is a pretty good idea. Here's what I think we should do to extend
on this:
Any features deemed obsolete during 1.2/1.3 are moved to the "obsolete"
area of the configure scripts for 1.4, but removed entirely for 1.5.
Thus, the features, although obsolete, are still in the mainstream
kernel, and the development kernels, which are the "cutting edge", don't
need this old code. Starting with 1.6 (or whatever is after 1.4/1.5)
they are removed entirely from the mainstream kernel as well.
Any thoughts on this? If so, please send them just to me and not to the
list, and I'll post a summary of opinions later. vger's overloaded
already; please don't make it worse.
Also - Has anyone out there made it possible for me to do an "rm -rf
/usr/src/linux/arch/[alpha,mips,sparc,ppc]" yet? I would fix the
interdependencies myself, but I'm not a make wizard yet.
Finally, are any of you make wizards out there interested in helping me
maintain a "split" kernel? That is, I'd like to take a mainstream or
development kernel and split it into a number of smaller files, such as:
core.tar.gz - Core kernel code, "required" stuff (basic networking,
ie, linux/net/core; IPC; anything else that is necessary
for any practical work but is NOT architecture dependent)
scsi.tar.gz - The SCSI subsystem code, both the mid-level and
low-level (hardware) drivers.
networking.tar.gz - The networking subsystem code, both the mid-level
TCP/IP (and other protocols) stuff, as well as the
low-level drivers for individual cards. This is
mostly what's currently in linux/drivers/net, but we
could move some of the stuff from linux/net here too.
arch.tar.gz - Architecture dependent low-level kernel code. This
should really be broken into an i386.tar.gz, mips.tar.gz,
etc.
i386-native.tar.gz - Stuff like support for weird CDROM's, most sound
cards, PC serial/parallel ports, etc. This IS sort of
architecture-dependent, in that the code's pretty
useless for other machines, but it doesn't break
them either. (This category is kind of hazy;
opinions are welcome.)
There are obviously more possibilities than this; ideally, I'd like to
limit it to maybe 10 files, of which almost no one will need more than 6
or 7.
If you would like to help me out with this project or would like to voice
your opinion, again, please respond via PRIVATE EMAIL. Please do NOT post
opinions here on linux-kernel; this isn't the place for them. Those of you
who choose to post to the mailing list will be ignored and deserve every
flame you get.
Thanks,
Judd
Judd Bourgeois shagboy@mossad.thecia.net
Finger for PGP public key
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center we find the South End. This is not to be confused with South
Boston which lies directly east from the South End. North of the South
End is East Boston and southwest of East Boston is the North End.