Subject: Re: LINT'ing the kernel
To: None <rpaulo@fnop.net>
From: Warner Losh <imp@bsdimp.com>
List: tech-kern
Date: 04/23/2006 10:45:14
> Anyway, the FreeBSD LINT kernel is not for common usage but only for
> test-compile from what I understand.

Yes.  The biggest thing that it has over GENERIC is that it includes
ALL the options.  GENERIC used to be everything, but as hardware
became obsolete or not main-stream, many items were removed from
GENERIC because that's what was installed on ALL systems initially by
the install program.  And the whole world doesn't need netiso, for
example.  Or old ISA drivers for obscure hardware that wasn't even
popular when ISA was popular.  Or a dozen other things that are just a
waste to average (and even most power) users.

LINT has all of these things, in addition to all the options that
would be inappropriate for GENERIC.

LINT is never intended to be booted.  It is a compile time tool to
keep everything in the tree compiling.

Warner