Re: [PATCH] x86 boot enhancements, boot bean counting 8/11

[Martin Dalecki]

Eric W. Biederman wrote:
> Martin Dalecki <[e-mail]> writes:
> 
> 
>>Eric W. Biederman wrote:
>>
>>>Linus please apply,
>>>Rework the actual build/link step for kernel images.  - remove the need for
>>>objcopy
>>>- Kill the ROOT_DEV Makefile variable, the implementation
>>>  was only half correct and there are much better ways
>>>  to specify your root device than modifying the kernel Makefile.
>>>- Don't loose information when the executable is built
>>
>>Coudl you please use sufficiently large fields for kdev_t variables?
>>This way if we once have bigger device id spaces one will not have
>>to mess with the boot code again.
>>Thank you.
> 
> 
> 1) This patch doesn't change anything except to document which fields
>    are present, and how big they are, and no there isn't enough room
>    to trivially expand these fields.
> 2) Exporting kdev_t from the kernel would be very bad.
> 3) swapdev is long dead, and root_dev while it works is unnecessary,
>    you can specify it on the command line just fine.
> 
> So we already are future proofed, and the change you suggest would be
> a bad one.  The compiled in command line fully supports the ability
> to set your root device, so no functionality is lost.
> 
> Like I said in my intro a lot of this code simply makes what the boot
> processes is currently doing more visible.
> 

Fine that explains it. Sorry for bogging you about it.