Re: Stripping of the GENERIC kernel config

[Jochen Kunz <jkunz%unixag-kl.fh-kl.de@localhost>]

On Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:21:12 +0100
Bernd Ernesti <veego%NetBSD.org@localhost> wrote:

> > Remove the following from i386 GENERIC since they are also provided
> > by modules. Shrinks the kernel by 1278kB. XXX Need to further
> > investigate situation with vcoda and nsmb.
> > 
> > - all file systems
> > - all exec formats
> > - all compat code
> > - POSIX AIO
> > - the NFS server
> > - accept filters
> 
> This is a step which in my mind makes a GENERIC kernel config not a
> generic kernel config anymore.
> 
> IMHO there should be a MODULAR kernel config which incudes the GENERIC
> kernel config and disable the modules which are now modules and the
> GENERIC one should still have all options enabled which were active
> before.
Seconded. Building a modular kernel is OK. But I surely still want a
full monolithic kernel. As default.

Also: moving things like ffs out of the kernel and make it a module is,
ahhhm, lets call it irrational to me. ffs is essential. It is allways
needed. It is allways loaded. You can't unload it. What is the reason
behind modularizing it? It doesn't make any sense to me. It just makes
things easier to break, harder to setup and harder to repair if
somthing goes wrong. I collected extensive experience in the "goes
wrong" department on Linux. I suerly do not want to see the same
mistakes (to use a polite word) in NetBSD.

A Unix kernel shold have everything compiled in that is needed for
accessing /. Modules are fine for rarely used things, for 3rd party
binary modules and for testing. But not for vital kernel components.
-- 


tschüß,
       Jochen

Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/