From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Feb 10 16:15:05 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: stable@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E9F301065670 for ; Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:04 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bzeeb-lists@lists.zabbadoz.net) Received: from mx1.sbone.de (mx1.sbone.de [IPv6:2a01:4f8:130:3ffc::401:25]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8D4568FC0A for ; Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:04 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail.sbone.de (mail.sbone.de [IPv6:fde9:577b:c1a9:31::2013:587]) (using TLSv1 with cipher ADH-CAMELLIA256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by mx1.sbone.de (Postfix) with ESMTPS id A10E025D3AB3; Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:03 +0000 (UTC) Received: from content-filter.sbone.de (content-filter.sbone.de [IPv6:fde9:577b:c1a9:31::2013:2742]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by mail.sbone.de (Postfix) with ESMTPS id B2DA4BDB10E; Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:02 +0000 (UTC) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at sbone.de Received: from mail.sbone.de ([IPv6:fde9:577b:c1a9:31::2013:587]) by content-filter.sbone.de (content-filter.sbone.de [fde9:577b:c1a9:31::2013:2742]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id 48lWKlpRl1Cw; Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:01 +0000 (UTC) Received: from orange-en1.sbone.de (orange-en1.sbone.de [IPv6:fde9:577b:c1a9:31:cabc:c8ff:fecf:e8e3]) (using TLSv1 with cipher AES128-SHA (128/128 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by mail.sbone.de (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 34540BDB10D; Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:01 +0000 (UTC) Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1084) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii From: "Bjoern A. Zeeb" In-Reply-To: <20120210145604.Horde.ewjpSpjmRSRPNSH0YRHxgAk@webmail.leidinger.net> Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-Id: <5B8B698D-6DC0-4334-8617-4EDEC7973D9D@lists.zabbadoz.net> References: <20120210145604.Horde.ewjpSpjmRSRPNSH0YRHxgAk@webmail.leidinger.net> To: Alexander Leidinger X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1084) Cc: stable@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Reducing the need to compile a custom kernel X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:05 -0000 On 10. Feb 2012, at 13:56 , Alexander Leidinger wrote: > Hi, >=20 > during some big discussions in the last monts on various lists, one of = the problems was that some people would like to use freebsd-update but = can't as they are using a custom kernel. With all the kernel modules we = provide, the need for a custom kernel should be small, but on the other = hand, we do not provide a small kernel-skeleton where you can load just = the modules you need. >=20 > This should be easy to change. As a first step I took the generic = kernel and removed all devices which are available as modules, e.g. the = USB section consists now only of the USB_DEBUG option (so that the = module is build like with the current generic kernel). I also removed = some storage drivers which are not available as a module. The rationale = is, that I can not remove CAM from the kernel config if I let those = drivers inside (if those drivers are important enough, someone will = probably fix the problem and add the missing pieces to generate a = module). And you completely seem to have missed the discussion about a device ID = DB and loader being able to probe and load them for you? With that sound, firewire, but also NICs and storage drivers can mostly = go away... But it needs infrastructure... lots of ... feel free to = resume that thread but stable@ is obviously the wrong place. > Such a kernel would cover situations where people compile their own = kernel because they want to get rid of some unused kernel code (and = maybe even need the memory this frees up). >=20 > The question is, is this enough? Or asked differently, why are you = compiling a custom kernel in a production environment (so I rule out = debug options zhich are not enabled in GENERIC)? Are there options which = you add which you can not add as a module (SW_WATCHDOG comes to my = mind)? If yes, which ones and how important are they for you? As a lot of the results will show... various parts of the network stack = being loadable, which is not as easy as it sounds, especially making = them unloadable again currently ... /bz --=20 Bjoern A. Zeeb You have to have visions! It does not matter how good you are. It matters what good you do!