Re: [Ksummit-discuss] [MAINTAINERS SUMMIT] API replacement/deprecation

[Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>]

On Thu, 6 Sep 2018 09:41:58 +1000
Stephen Rothwell <sfr@canb.auug.org.au> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> On Wed, 5 Sep 2018 15:57:02 -0700 Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org> wrote:
> >
> > I'd like to discuss ways that we could deprecate APIs more sanely. At
> > present I've seen (and used) two approaches, fast and slow:  
> 
> As the one who often has the "fun" of coping with API changes, I would
> like to be involved in this discussion.
> 
> My first point would be that (almost) every time someone has tried the
> "ultra fast" method (i.e. add new interface, convert everyone in the
> current kernel, remove the old interface all in one go) we have had new
> users of the old interface introduced at the same time.  (pain for the
> linux-next bunny :-()

Can this be solved with a script on kernel.org? Or a zero-day bot that
checks new commits (and perhaps patches to LKML) that checks for
deprecated functions being added by new code (like strcpy) and the
author would then get a nasty email about adding deprecated interfaces.

This would solve the issue of not everyone using the latest checkpatch,
as this wouldn't be a voluntary self-check. It would also quickly
educate developers on what code is not acceptable to be added.

-- Steve