Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S967177AbXEGWts (ORCPT ); Mon, 7 May 2007 18:49:48 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S967130AbXEGWtp (ORCPT ); Mon, 7 May 2007 18:49:45 -0400 Received: from rgminet01.oracle.com ([148.87.113.118]:45824 "EHLO rgminet01.oracle.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S967014AbXEGWto (ORCPT ); Mon, 7 May 2007 18:49:44 -0400 Message-ID: <463FADB7.3080900@oracle.com> Date: Mon, 07 May 2007 15:52:39 -0700 From: Randy Dunlap User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.5 (X11/20060719) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Satyam Sharma CC: Jeff Garzik , Roman Zippel , Krzysztof Halasa , Russell King , lkml , netdev@vger.kernel.org, linux-arm-kernel@lists.arm.linux.org.uk Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/3] WAN Kconfig: change "depends on HDLC" to "select" References: <463F27CE.2040008@garzik.org> <463F8CB4.3040603@garzik.org> <20070507135052.cc7e74ca.randy.dunlap@oracle.com> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Whitelist: TRUE X-Whitelist: TRUE X-Brightmail-Tracker: AAAAAQAAAAI= Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2572 Lines: 61 Satyam Sharma wrote: > On 5/8/07, Randy Dunlap wrote: >> On Mon, 07 May 2007 16:31:48 -0400 Jeff Garzik wrote: >> >> > Satyam Sharma wrote: >> > > Yes, mixing select and depends is a recipe for build disasters. Call >> > > me a rabid fanatic, but I would in fact go as far as to say that this >> > > whole "select" thing in the Kconfig process is one big BUG, and not a >> > > feature. People are lazy by nature and would rather just "select" a >> > > dependency for their config option than burden users with several >> > > "depends". >> > >> > Tough, the kernel community has voted against you. >> >> Andrew (usually) implores people not to use "select" and I agree >> with him. >> >> > It makes far more sense to include a driver during kernel >> configuration, >> > and have that driver pull in its libraries via 'select'. The lame >> > alternative requires developers to know which libraries they need >> BEFORE >> > picking their drivers, which is backwards and requires legwork on the >> > part of the kernel developer. >> >> Developers? If you had said "users," I might agree, but IMO it's >> OK (or even Good) for developers to know what libraries their code >> uses/requires. Yes, that's a good thing. > > You're absolutely right, but to give Jeff the benefit of the doubt I'm > sure he _meant_ "users" there although he said "developers". Stating > the obvious, the developer _has_ to know what stuff his code uses > anyway, otherwise what does he "select"s or "depends" his config > option on. > > As for users, we _can_ avoid pitfalls by building a complete > dependency tree and just selecting _everything_ that we require for a > particular config option to be selected, but some users could > conceivably prefer only being _told_ about what else they need to > successfully pick a config option (than everything just getting in > behind their backs). Actually (correct me if I'm wrong), this is not > presently possible: an option is not visible unless dependencies are > already picked. Just a suggestion, though. That's correct for menuconfig. For xconfig, there are GUI options to Show Name Show Range Show Data Show All Options Show Debug Info I often have all of them enabled. -- ~Randy *** Remember to use Documentation/SubmitChecklist when testing your code *** - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/