From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1755231AbbE1S6h (ORCPT ); Thu, 28 May 2015 14:58:37 -0400 Received: from mail-pa0-f50.google.com ([209.85.220.50]:33615 "EHLO mail-pa0-f50.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1753752AbbE1S6X (ORCPT ); Thu, 28 May 2015 14:58:23 -0400 From: "Luis R. Rodriguez" To: corbet@lwn.net, linux-doc@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, mingo@elte.hu, gnomes@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk, gregkh@linuxfoundation.org, jkosina@suse.cz, bhelgaas@google.com, linux-pci@vger.kernel.org, xen-devel@lists.xenproject.org, bp@suse.de, "Luis R. Rodriguez" Subject: [PATCH] Documentation: extend use case for EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() Date: Thu, 28 May 2015 11:56:01 -0700 Message-Id: <1432839361-10308-1-git-send-email-mcgrof@do-not-panic.com> X-Mailer: git-send-email 2.1.0 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org From: "Luis R. Rodriguez" Current documentation over use case for EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() only acknowledges functions which are "an internal implementation issue, and not really an interface". In practice these days though we have some maintainers taking on preferences to require all new functionality go in with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(). A maintainer asking developers to use EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() for new functionality tends to be a well accepted and understood position that maintainers can take and typically requires the maintainers educating contributing developers on their own positions and requirements. Developers who submit code to maintainers not familiar with these preferences as optional for new functionality need explicit guidence though as existing documentation does not acknowledge this as a valid possibility. Without this being documented some maintainers are reluctant to accept new functionality with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(). This extends the use case documentation for EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() to acknowledge acceptance for new functionality. Cc: Jonathan Corbet Cc: linux-doc@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Signed-off-by: Luis R. Rodriguez --- Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl | 2 ++ 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+) diff --git a/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl b/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl index e84f094..19e0c88 100644 --- a/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl +++ b/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl @@ -954,6 +954,8 @@ printk(KERN_INFO "my ip: %pI4\n", &ipaddress); MODULE_LICENSE() that specifies a GPL compatible license. It implies that the function is considered an internal implementation issue, and not really an interface. + Some maintainers and developers may however have a preference to + require EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() when adding any new APIs or functionality. -- 2.3.2.209.gd67f9d5.dirty