>> >Default is 'n' when omitted...
>>
>> This default stuff seems to be make-work
>> without any real value.
>>
>> At one time we had default =m to try to show
>> what a reasonable usable configuration was.
>> These got globally replaced to =y because
>> apparently it is taboo to have default =m.
>>
>> But =y defaults don't make much sense either,
>> particularly if you use =m like most people do.
>>
>> The last time we discussed this, Roman suggested
>> deleting all the defaults that require human interaction.
>>
>> As the concept appears to be meaningless, I'm inclined to agree.
>
>The problem with using defaults is, if something should be
>enabled, maybe it shouldn't be a config option at all or at least be
hidden.
>In the future this should all be part of an autoconfiguration process,
>where a base configuration is generated from different sources (e.g. a
>script which looks at the current kernel or machine specific default
>config). The point is that the defaults can depend on a lot of
>parameters, one of which is the user himself and every user likes
>different defaults. So until we have a better autoconfiguration it's
better to avoid
>abusing the defaults. The current configuration system is not ready for
aunt Tilly
>yet, it would be far better to provide useful help texts to
>allow the user to make reasonable a decision and the majority of the
defaults
>should come from a different source anyway (the current kernel
>configuration) and for any new configuration option which can cause a
kernel to be unbootable
>should maybe not an option.
Lets take a concrete example.
CONFIG_ACPI_BUTTON
It is totally nuts to to to the trouble of includeing CONFIG_ACPI
and not including the few lines of code necessary to handle
your power button. But at the same time, most people use =m
for this because on a non-ACPI system they want as much out
as possible. so we have
default y
conflicts with most popular use of =m
default m
taboo
default n, no no default
makes no sense, give that we get here only if CONFIG_ACPI...
Seems the choices are to make the default to =m if modules are enabled,
and default to y otherwise, or to simply grow the kernel and
have it hard-wired to y with no choice.
What do you recommend?
thanks,
-Len
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