Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000 From: "Bjoern A. Zeeb" <bzeeb-lists@lists.zabbadoz.net> To: Alexander Leidinger <Alexander@Leidinger.net> Cc: stable@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Reducing the need to compile a custom kernel Message-ID: <5B8B698D-6DC0-4334-8617-4EDEC7973D9D@lists.zabbadoz.net> In-Reply-To: <20120210145604.Horde.ewjpSpjmRSRPNSH0YRHxgAk@webmail.leidinger.net> References: <20120210145604.Horde.ewjpSpjmRSRPNSH0YRHxgAk@webmail.leidinger.net>
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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!
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