From 582ed8d51e2b6cb8a168c94852bca482685c2509 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Luis R. Rodriguez" Date: Thu, 28 May 2015 11:56:01 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] Documentation: extend use case for EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() Current documentation over use case for EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() only acknowledges functions which are "an internal implementation issue, and not really an interface". In practice these days though we have some maintainers taking on preferences to require all new functionality go in with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(). A maintainer asking developers to use EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() for new functionality tends to be a well accepted and understood position that maintainers can take and typically requires the maintainers educating contributing developers on their own positions and requirements. Developers who submit code to maintainers not familiar with these preferences as optional for new functionality need explicit guidence though as existing documentation does not acknowledge this as a valid possibility. Without this being documented some maintainers are reluctant to accept new functionality with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(). This extends the use case documentation for EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() to acknowledge acceptance for new functionality. Signed-off-by: Luis R. Rodriguez [jc: wording tweaked with permission] Signed-off-by: Jonathan Corbet --- Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl | 2 ++ 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+) diff --git a/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl b/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl index e84f09467cd7..589b40cc5eb5 100644 --- a/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl +++ b/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl @@ -954,6 +954,8 @@ printk(KERN_INFO "my ip: %pI4\n", &ipaddress); MODULE_LICENSE() that specifies a GPL compatible license. It implies that the function is considered an internal implementation issue, and not really an interface. + Some maintainers and developers may however + require EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() when adding any new APIs or functionality.