linux.git/Documentation/kbuild, branch v6.10

kbuild: doc: Update default INSTALL_MOD_DIR from extra to updates

2024-06-25T15:18:57+00:00

The default INSTALL_MOD_DIR was changed from 'extra' to
'updates' in commit b74d7bb7ca24 ("kbuild: Modify default
INSTALL_MOD_DIR from extra to updates").

This commit updates the documentation to align with the
latest kernel.

Fixes: b74d7bb7ca24 ("kbuild: Modify default INSTALL_MOD_DIR from extra to updates")
Signed-off-by: Mark-PK Tsai 
Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada

kconfig: doc: document behavior of 'select' and 'imply' followed by 'if'

2024-06-06T11:05:15+00:00

Documentation/kbuild/kconfig-language.rst explains the behavior of
'select' as follows:

  reverse dependencies can be used to force a lower limit of
  another symbol. The value of the current menu symbol is used as the
  minimal value  can be set to.

This is not true when the 'select' property is followed by 'if'.

[Test Code]

    config MODULES
            def_bool y
            modules

    config A
            def_tristate y
            select C if B

    config B
            def_tristate m

    config C
            tristate

[Result]

    CONFIG_MODULES=y
    CONFIG_A=y
    CONFIG_B=m
    CONFIG_C=m

If "the value of A is used as the minimal value C can be set to",
C must be 'y'.

The actual behavior is "C is selected by (A && B)". The lower limit of
C is downgraded due to B being 'm'.

This behavior is kind of weird, and this has arisen several times in
the mailing list.

I do not know whether it is a bug or intended behavior. Anyway, it is
not feasible to change it now because many Kconfig files are written
based on this behavior. The same applies to 'imply'.

Document this (but reserve the possibility for a future change).

Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada 
Reviewed-by: Randy Dunlap

kconfig: doc: fix a typo in the note about 'imply'

2024-06-06T11:03:16+00:00

This sentence does not make sense due to a typo. Fix it.

Fixes: def2fbffe62c ("kconfig: allow symbols implied by y to become m")
Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada 
Reviewed-by: Randy Dunlap

kbuild: use $(src) instead of $(srctree)/$(src) for source directory

2024-05-09T19:34:52+00:00

Kbuild conventionally uses $(obj)/ for generated files, and $(src)/ for
checked-in source files. It is merely a convention without any functional
difference. In fact, $(obj) and $(src) are exactly the same, as defined
in scripts/Makefile.build:

    src := $(obj)

When the kernel is built in a separate output directory, $(src) does
not accurately reflect the source directory location. While Kbuild
resolves this discrepancy by specifying VPATH=$(srctree) to search for
source files, it does not cover all cases. For example, when adding a
header search path for local headers, -I$(srctree)/$(src) is typically
passed to the compiler.

This introduces inconsistency between upstream and downstream Makefiles
because $(src) is used instead of $(srctree)/$(src) for the latter.

To address this inconsistency, this commit changes the semantics of
$(src) so that it always points to the directory in the source tree.

Going forward, the variables used in Makefiles will have the following
meanings:

  $(obj)     - directory in the object tree
  $(src)     - directory in the source tree  (changed by this commit)
  $(objtree) - the top of the kernel object tree
  $(srctree) - the top of the kernel source tree

Consequently, $(srctree)/$(src) in upstream Makefiles need to be replaced
with $(src).

Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada 
Reviewed-by: Nicolas Schier

kconfig: remove 'optional' property support

2024-05-02T10:48:26+00:00

The 'choice' statement is primarily used to exclusively select one
option, but the 'optional' property allows all entries to be disabled.

In the following example, both A and B can be disabled simultaneously:

    choice
            prompt "choose A, B, or nothing"
            optional

    config A
            bool "A"

    config B
            bool "B"

    endchoice

You can achieve the equivalent outcome by other means.

A common solution is to add another option to guard the choice block.
In the following example, you can set ENABLE_A_B_CHOICE=n to disable
the entire choice block:

    choice
            prompt "choose A or B"
            depends on ENABLE_A_B_CHOICE

    config A
            bool "A"

    config B
            bool "B"

    endchoice

Another approach is to insert one more entry:

    choice
            prompt "choose A, B, or disable both"

    config A
            bool "A"

    config B
            bool "B"

    config DISABLE_A_AND_B
            bool "choose this to disable both A and B"

    endchoice

Some real examples are DEBUG_INFO_NONE, INITRAMFS_COMPRESSION_NONE,
LTO_NONE, etc.

The 'optional' property is even more unnecessary for a tristate choice.

Without the 'optional' property, you can disable A and B; you can set
'm' in the choice prompt, and disable A and B individually:

    choice
            prompt "choose one built-in or make them modular"

    config A
            tristate "A"

    config B
            tristate "B"

    endchoice

In conclusion, the 'optional' property was unneeded.

Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada 
Reviewed-by: Nicolas Schier

Documentation/llvm: Note s390 LLVM=1 support with LLVM 18.1.0 and newer

2024-03-31T12:09:50+00:00

As of the first s390 pull request during the 6.9 merge window,
commit 691632f0e869 ("Merge tag 's390-6.9-1' of
git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/s390/linux"), s390 can be
built with LLVM=1 when using LLVM 18.1.0, which is the first version
that has SystemZ support implemented in ld.lld and llvm-objcopy.

Update the supported architectures table in the Kbuild LLVM
documentation to note this explicitly to make it more discoverable by
users and other developers. Additionally, this brings s390 in line with
the rest of the architectures in the table, which all support LLVM=1.

Signed-off-by: Nathan Chancellor 
Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada

kconfig: remove named choice support

2024-03-10T04:29:48+00:00

Commit 5a1aa8a1aff6 ("kconfig: add named choice group") did not provide
enough explanation regarding its benefits. A use case was found in
another project [1] sometime later, this feature has never been used in
the kernel.

[1]: https://lore.kernel.org/all/201012150034.01356.yann.morin.1998@anciens.enib.fr/

Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada 
Reviewed-by: Nicolas Schier

docs: kbuild/kconfig: reformat/cleanup

2024-02-19T09:20:39+00:00

This document was using headings in an odd way, causing the sidebar to be
quite messy. I've adding new headings and turned some of the old headings
into description lists.

The indentation was a mix of spaces and tabs; I've turned them all into
4 spaces so it always reads correctly regardless of tab settings.

Also use ``...`` instead of `...`; the difference is that `` is meant
for "inline literals" (and renders in a monospace font) while ` is for
"interpreted text" (and renders with italics).

Also changed the title of the document to be more descriptive.

Signed-off-by: Vegard Nossum 
Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor 
Tested-by: Nathan Chancellor 
Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada

docs: kconfig: Fix grammar and formatting

2024-02-14T21:55:47+00:00

- Remove unnecessary spaces
- Fix grammar s/to solution/solution/

Signed-off-by: Thorsten Blum 
Reviewed-by: Randy Dunlap 
Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada

Merge tag 'kbuild-v6.7' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/masahiroy/linux-kbuild

2023-11-04T18:07:19+00:00

Pull Kbuild updates from Masahiro Yamada:

 - Implement the binary search in modpost for faster symbol lookup

 - Respect HOSTCC when linking host programs written in Rust

 - Change the binrpm-pkg target to generate kernel-devel RPM package

 - Fix endianness issues for tee and ishtp MODULE_DEVICE_TABLE

 - Unify vdso_install rules

 - Remove unused __memexit* annotations

 - Eliminate stale whitelisting for __devinit/__devexit from modpost

 - Enable dummy-tools to handle the -fpatchable-function-entry flag

 - Add 'userldlibs' syntax

* tag 'kbuild-v6.7' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/masahiroy/linux-kbuild: (30 commits)
  kbuild: support 'userldlibs' syntax
  kbuild: dummy-tools: pretend we understand -fpatchable-function-entry
  kbuild: Correct missing architecture-specific hyphens
  modpost: squash ALL_{INIT,EXIT}_TEXT_SECTIONS to ALL_TEXT_SECTIONS
  modpost: merge sectioncheck table entries regarding init/exit sections
  modpost: use ALL_INIT_SECTIONS for the section check from DATA_SECTIONS
  modpost: disallow the combination of EXPORT_SYMBOL and __meminit*
  modpost: remove EXIT_SECTIONS macro
  modpost: remove MEM_INIT_SECTIONS macro
  modpost: remove more symbol patterns from the section check whitelist
  modpost: disallow *driver to reference .meminit* sections
  linux/init: remove __memexit* annotations
  modpost: remove ALL_EXIT_DATA_SECTIONS macro
  kbuild: simplify cmd_ld_multi_m
  kbuild: avoid too many execution of scripts/pahole-flags.sh
  kbuild: remove ARCH_POSTLINK from module builds
  kbuild: unify no-compiler-targets and no-sync-config-targets
  kbuild: unify vdso_install rules
  docs: kbuild: add INSTALL_DTBS_PATH
  UML: remove unused cmd_vdso_install
  ...