On Sat, Jul 22, 2017 at 07:51:20AM -0500, Larry Finger wrote: > On 07/21/2017 10:51 PM, Greg KH wrote: > > On Fri, Jul 21, 2017 at 07:36:41PM -0500, Larry Finger wrote: > > > On 07/21/2017 10:08 AM, Greg KH wrote: > > > > On Thu, Jul 20, 2017 at 08:18:13PM -0500, Larry Finger wrote: > > > > > Kalle and Greg, > > > > > > > > > > Once again I find myself in the awkward position of needing to submit > > > > > code > > > > > to two different trees, i.e. wireless and staging. > > > > > > > > > > The code in question concerns a new Realtek device, the RTL8822BE. The > > > > > device is already shipping, and Realtek would like it to be available > > > > > in > > > > > kernel 3.14. As it consists of ~120,000 new lines of code, I have > > > > > assured > > > > > Realtek that 3.14 would not be possible, at least in the wireless > > > > > tree. What > > > > > I plan to do is submit the changes in the existing drivers through > > > > > wireless, > > > > > and the three totally new drivers through staging. My expectation is > > > > > that > > > > > this code would live for a relatively short time there, but going > > > > > that route > > > > > would give time for the code to be reviewed properly, but still be > > > > > available > > > > > in a kernel driver. All of the new code will be available in a GitHub > > > > > repo > > > > > maintained by Realtek for those users whose distros do not configure > > > > > anything in staging. > > > > > > > > > > For my part, I will push the wireless tree material as fast as I can > > > > > and > > > > > hope there is time available near the end of the 4.13-rcX sequence > > > > > for the > > > > > material to reach 4.14-rc1. > > > > > > > > Why do you need a staging driver to have changes in the wireless tree? > > > > Staging drivers should be self-contained and not rely on anything > > > > outside of it in order to work properly (i.e. don't add code to the real > > > > kernel only for a staging driver.) > > > > > > Greg, > > > > > > To add the new driver to staging without any other changes, I will need to > > > duplicate a lot of code. That is no problem, other than the duplicate > > > entry > > > points that will show up in a makeallyes configuration. If that is what > > > you > > > want, then that is what I will do. > > > > What do you mean by "duplicate entry points"? Duplicate global symbols? > > Something else? > > Of course, I meant duplicate global symbols.
Just make the staging driver only be built as a module then there should not be the chance for any global symbols to occur. We've done that many times in the past, probably for these same drivers... thanks, greg k-h
