Re: [PATCH RFC] changes.rst: introduce 'Required for'-column

[Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@infradead.org>]

Hi,

On 10/7/26 9:37 AM, Manuel Ebner wrote:
> The optional tag isn't obvious nor defined. Therefore remove the tag and
> add column 'Required for' to make it easier to define the need for the tools.
> 
> CC: Miguel Ojeda <miguel.ojeda.sandonis@gmail.com>
> CC: Nicolas Schier <n.schier@fritz.com>
> ---
> If anybody has info to add to or refine the new column I would appreciate it a lot.
> Please forward this to list or people which can contribute to this patch.
> 
> There's also the option to remove the 'Command to check the version'-column
> and refer to scripts/ver_linux - and with this also removing the duplicated
> information-issue.
> 
> [v3]
>  Rearange column space of the table in order to add column instead of replacing column
>  add some requirements to the table
> 
> [v2]
>  Ditch footnotes in favor of a column
>  Replace 'Check Version Command'-column with optional-column
>  https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260831152523.638881-1-manuelebnerli@mailbox.org/
> 
> [v1]
>  https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260812122426.1636227-2-manuelebnerli@mailbox.org/
> ---
>  Documentation/process/changes.rst | 97 ++++++++++++++++---------------
>  1 file changed, 51 insertions(+), 46 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/process/changes.rst b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> index 28f2ca633..dafe0530f 100644
> --- a/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> @@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
>  .. _changes:
>  
> -Minimal requirements to compile the Kernel
> -++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> +Minimal requirements to interact with the Kernel
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  
>  Intro
>  =====
>  
> -This document is designed to provide a list of the minimum levels of
> -software necessary to run the current kernel version.
> +This document is designed to provide a list of the minimum versions of
> +software necessary to change code, compile, install and boot the current
> +kernel version.
>  
>  This document is originally based on my "Changes" file for 2.0.x kernels
>  and therefore owes credit to the same people as that file (Jared Mauch,
> @@ -27,48 +28,52 @@ running a Linux kernel.  Also, not all tools are necessary on all
>  systems; obviously, if you don't have any PC Card hardware, for example,
>  you probably do not need to concern yourself with pcmciautils.
>  
> -====================== ===============  ========================================
> -        Program        Minimal version       Command to check the version
> -====================== ===============  ========================================
> -bash                   4.2              bash --version
> -bc                     1.06.95          bc --version
> -bindgen (optional)     0.71.1           bindgen --version
> -binutils               2.30             ld -v
> -bison                  2.0              bison --version
> -btrfs-progs            0.18             btrfs --version
> -Clang/LLVM (optional)  17.0.1           clang --version
> -e2fsprogs              1.41.4           e2fsck -V
> -flex                   2.5.35           flex --version
> -gdb                    7.2              gdb --version
> -GNU awk (optional)     5.1.0            gawk --version
> -GNU C                  8.1              gcc --version
> -GNU make               4.0              make --version
> -GNU tar                1.28             tar --version
> -GRUB                   0.93             grub --version || grub-install --version
> -gtags (optional)       6.6.5            gtags --version
> -iptables               1.4.2            iptables -V
> -jfsutils               1.1.3            fsck.jfs -V
> -kmod                   13               kmod -V
> -mcelog                 0.6              mcelog --version
> -mkimage (optional)     2017.01          mkimage --version
> -nfs-utils              1.0.5            showmount --version
> -openssl & libcrypto    1.0.0            openssl version
> -pahole                 1.26             pahole --version
> -pcmciautils            004              pccardctl -V
> -pigz (optional)        2.4              pigz --version
> -PPP                    2.4.0            pppd --version
> -procps                 3.2.0            ps --version
> -Python                 3.9.x            python3 --version
> -quota-tools            3.09             quota -V
> -Rust (optional)        1.85.0           rustc --version
> -Sphinx\ [#f1]_         3.4.3            sphinx-build --version
> -squashfs-tools         4.0              mksquashfs -version
> -udev                   081              udevadm --version
> -util-linux             2.10o            mount --version
> -xfsprogs               2.6.0            xfs_db -V
> -====================== ===============  ========================================
> -
> -.. [#f1] Sphinx is needed only to build the Kernel documentation
> +==============  ========  =======================  ========================================
> +    Program     Minimal      Command to check                  Required for
> +                version         the version
> +==============  ========  =======================  ========================================
> +bash            4.2       bash --version           general requirement
> +bc              1.06.95   bc --version             Kbuild (

Something missing after the '('?

> +bindgen         0.71.1    bindgen --version        CONFIG_RUST=y
> +binutils        2.30      ld -v
> +bison           2.0       bison --version          Kbuild (.config)
> +btrfs-progs     0.18      btrfs --version
> +Clang/LLVM      17.0.1    clang --version          alternative to GNU C (gcc)
> +e2fsprogs       1.41.4    e2fsck -V                ext4
> +flex            2.5.35    flex --version           Kbuild (.config)
> +gdb             7.2       gdb --version            Debugging
> +GNU awk         5.1.0     gawk --version           objtool, CONFIG_SYSTEM_BLACKLIST_HASH_LIST=y
> +GNU C           8.1       gcc --version            alternative to Clang/LLVM (clang)
> +GNU make        4.0       make --version
> +GNU tar         1.28      tar --version
> +GRUB            0.93      grub --version ||
> +                          grub-install --version
> +gtags           6.6.5     gtags --version          to generate tag files through ``make gtags``
> +iptables        1.4.2     iptables -V
> +jfsutils        1.1.3     fsck.jfs -V
> +kmod            13        kmod -V
> +mcelog          0.6       mcelog --version
> +mkimage         2017.01   mkimage --version        Flat Image Tree (FIT) or ARCH=arc, arm or powerpc
> +nfs-utils       1.0.5     showmount --version
> +openssl         1.0.0     openssl version
> +pahole          1.26      pahole --version
> +pcmciautils     004       pccardctl -V
> +pigz            2.4       pigz --version           Compile and boot with KPGZIP=y
> +PPP             2.4.0     pppd --version
> +procps          3.2.0     ps --version
> +Python          3.9.x     python3 --version
> +quota-tools     3.09      quota -V
> +Rust            1.85.0    rustc --version          CONFIG_RUST=y
> +Sphinx          3.4.3     sphinx-build --version   build kernel documentation
> +squashfs-tools  4.0       mksquashfs -version
> +udev            081       udevadm --version
> +util-linux      2.10o     mount --version
> +xfsprogs        2.6.0     xfs_db -V
> +==============  ========  =======================  ========================================
> +    Program     Minimal      Command to check                  Required for
> +                version      check the version
> +==============  ========  =======================  ========================================

On my build of 'make htmldocs', the table ending confuses docutils.
Did you build this with 'make htmldocs'?

Documentation/process/changes.rst:73: WARNING: Blank line required after table. [docutils]
Documentation/process/changes.rst:75: WARNING: Block quote ends without a blank line; unexpected unindent. [docutils]
Documentation/process/changes.rst:419: ERROR: Malformed table.
Bottom border or header rule does not match top border.

==============  ========  =======================  ========================================

...

Getting updated software
======================== [docutils]

-- 
~Randy