Re: [RFC: 2.6 patch] kernel/sys.c: possible cleanups

[Andrew Morton <akpm@osdl.org>]

Arjan van de Ven <arjan@infradead.org> wrote:
>
> > If removing exports requires a process, adding exports requires a 
>  > similar process.
> 
>  alternatively we should bite the bullet, and just stick those 900 on the
>  "we'll kill all these in 3 months" list, have a thing to disable them
>  now via a config option (so that people actually notice rather than just
>  having them in the depreciation file) and fix the 5 or 10 or so that
>  actually will be used soon in those 3 months.
> 

I'd instead suggest that we implement a new EXPORT_SYMBOL_UNEXPORT_SCHEDULED
(?) and use that.  Suitable compile-time and modprobe-time warnings would
be needed.  Put the unexport date in a comment at the
EXPORT_SYMBOL_UNEXPORT_SCHEDULED site or even in the modprobe-time warning
message, if that's convenient:

EXPORT_SYMBOL_UNEXPORT_SCHEDULED(foo, "Dec 2006");