From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1753844AbZASQ2U (ORCPT ); Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:28:20 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1752362AbZASQ2G (ORCPT ); Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:28:06 -0500 Received: from pfepb.post.tele.dk ([195.41.46.236]:57102 "EHLO pfepb.post.tele.dk" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1752226AbZASQ2F (ORCPT ); Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:28:05 -0500 Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:29:47 +0100 From: Sam Ravnborg To: Ingo Molnar Cc: Avi Kivity , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, kvm@vger.kernel.org, "H. Peter Anvin" , Thomas Gleixner Subject: Re: [PATCH] KVM: Avoid using CONFIG_ in userspace visible headers Message-ID: <20090119162947.GA10378@uranus.ravnborg.org> References: <1232370050-7434-1-git-send-email-avi@redhat.com> <20090119130927.GC6876@elte.hu> <49747C44.1030901@redhat.com> <20090119132214.GA20722@elte.hu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20090119132214.GA20722@elte.hu> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > > btw., would be nice to somehow untangle consciously-exported interface > definitions from kernel side bits, and standardize these > feature/capability flags like __KVM_HAVE_IOAPIC, etc. > > Right now we have this body of 75,000 lines of code spread out in 600+ > header files that are so-called 'exported' to user-space, but 95% of that > interface definition code is never being relied on by any user-space bit! > They are exported due to cargo-cult mentality or due to dependencies. With the exported headers we at least have a clear definition what part of the headers are actually exported. So what we have now is a much better base to cut off from. And there is plenty of room for improvements but it requires someone with understanding of the kernel side and the user side to do this. I for once find it hard to judge what is really used by user space and not. Diving into glibc does not help as userspace is much more than glibc although glibc is an important 'customer' here. Sam