[PATCH] kbuild: fix modules.builtin(.modinfo) targets in the top-level Makefile

[PATCH] kbuild: fix modules.builtin(.modinfo) targets in the top-level Makefile

[Yuntao Wang]

Commit 7a342e6c7735 ("kbuild: move modules.builtin(.modinfo) rules to
Makefile.vmlinux_o") moved the modules.builtin(.modinfo) rules from
link-vmlinux.sh to Makefile.vmlinux_o, and added the corresponding
targets to the top-level Makefile.

Commit 39cfd5b12160 ("kbuild: extract modules.builtin.modinfo from
vmlinux.unstripped") later moved these rules from Makefile.vmlinux_o to
Makefile.vmlinux, but left the corresponding targets in the top-level
Makefile unchanged.

These modules.builtin(.modinfo) targets in the top-level Makefile should
be moved alongside the vmlinux target, since they are now generated by
Makefile.vmlinux.

However, simply removing these trivial targets might be a better choice,
as it makes the Makefile cleaner and avoids the need to keep them in sync
across multiple files, reducing the chance of future mistakes.

Fixes: 39cfd5b12160 ("kbuild: extract modules.builtin.modinfo from vmlinux.unstripped")
Signed-off-by: Yuntao Wang <yuntao.wang@linux.dev>
---
 Makefile | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2f5bf24e3389..5f3f460fd10f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1352,7 +1352,7 @@ PHONY += vmlinux_o
 vmlinux_o: vmlinux.a $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS)
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.vmlinux_o
 
-vmlinux.o modules.builtin.modinfo modules.builtin: vmlinux_o
+vmlinux.o: vmlinux_o
 	@:
 
 PHONY += vmlinux
-- 
2.55.0

Re: [PATCH] kbuild: fix modules.builtin(.modinfo) targets in the top-level Makefile

[Nathan Chancellor]

> Commit 7a342e6c7735 ("kbuild: move modules.builtin(.modinfo) rules to
> Makefile.vmlinux_o") moved the modules.builtin(.modinfo) rules from
> link-vmlinux.sh to Makefile.vmlinux_o, and added the corresponding
> targets to the top-level Makefile.
> 
> Commit 39cfd5b12160 ("kbuild: extract modules.builtin.modinfo from
> vmlinux.unstripped") later moved these rules from Makefile.vmlinux_o to
> Makefile.vmlinux, but left the corresponding targets in the top-level
> Makefile unchanged.
> 
> These modules.builtin(.modinfo) targets in the top-level Makefile should
> be moved alongside the vmlinux target, since they are now generated by
> Makefile.vmlinux.
> 
> However, simply removing these trivial targets might be a better choice,
> as it makes the Makefile cleaner and avoids the need to keep them in sync
> across multiple files, reducing the chance of future mistakes.
> 
> Fixes: 39cfd5b12160 ("kbuild: extract modules.builtin.modinfo from vmlinux.unstripped")
> Signed-off-by: Yuntao Wang <yuntao.wang@linux.dev>

Well I suppose if nobody has reported these targets being broken, it
probably means nobody is using them. It is easy enough to put them back
if somebody needs/wants them.

Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <nathan@kernel.org>

-- 
Cheers,
Nathan

Re: [PATCH] kbuild: fix modules.builtin(.modinfo) targets in the top-level Makefile

[Nicolas Schier]

On Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:17:37 +0800, Yuntao Wang wrote:
> kbuild: fix modules.builtin(.modinfo) targets in the top-level Makefile

Applied to kbuild/linux.git (kbuild-next-unstable), thanks!

[1/1] kbuild: fix modules.builtin(.modinfo) targets in the top-level Makefile
      https://git.kernel.org/kbuild/c/fc0a2ef3

Please look out for regression or issue reports or other follow up
comments, as they may result in the patch/series getting dropped,
reverted or modified (e.g. trailers).

Patches applied to the kbuild-next-unstable branch are accepted pending
wider testing in linux-next and any post-commit review; they will
generally be moved to the kbuild-next branch in about a week if no
issues are found.

Best regards,
-- 
Nicolas