[PATCH] KCONFIG: Add the maturity level categories DEPRECATED and OBSOLETE.

[PATCH] KCONFIG: Add the maturity level categories DEPRECATED and OBSOLETE.

[Robert P. J. Day]

  In addition to EXPERIMENTAL and BROKEN, define the maturity level
options DEPRECATED and OBSOLETE.

Signed-off-by: Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@mindspring.com>

---

  we'd discussed this a while back but nothing seemed to be finalized
one way or the other so, as a followup to the exchange summarized here:

  http://kerneltrap.org/node/7593

add those two new categories, without actually changing the current
status of any existing config options, so the current build should be
unaffected by this patch alone.


diff --git a/init/Kconfig b/init/Kconfig
index a3f83e2..acc0052 100644
--- a/init/Kconfig
+++ b/init/Kconfig
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ config EXPERIMENTAL
 	  <file:Documentation/BUG-HUNTING>, and
 	  <file:Documentation/oops-tracing.txt> in the kernel source).

-	  This option will also make obsoleted drivers available. These are
-	  drivers that have been replaced by something else, and/or are
-	  scheduled to be removed in a future kernel release.
+	  At the moment, this option also makes obsolete drivers available,
+	  but such drivers really should be removed from the EXPERIMENTAL
+	  category and added to either DEPRECATED or OBSOLETE, depending
+	  on their status.

 	  Unless you intend to help test and develop a feature or driver that
 	  falls into this category, or you have a situation that requires
@@ -40,6 +41,29 @@ config EXPERIMENTAL
 	  you say Y here, you will be offered the choice of using features or
 	  drivers that are currently considered to be in the alpha-test phase.

+config DEPRECATED
+	bool "Prompt for deprecated code/drivers"
+	default y
+	---help---
+	  Code that is tagged as "deprecated" is officially still available
+	  for use but will typically have already been scheduled for removal
+	  at some point, so it's in your best interests to start looking for
+	  an alternative.
+
+	  Check the file Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt to see
+	  if a particular feature has an official scheduled removal date.
+
+config OBSOLETE
+	bool "Prompt for obsolete code/drivers"
+	default n
+	---help---
+	  Code that is tagged as "obsolete" is officially no longer supported
+	  and shouldn't play a part in any normal build, but those features
+	  might still be available if you absolutely need access to them.
+
+	  You are *strongly* discouraged from continuing to depend on
+	  obsolete code on an ongoing, long-term basis.
+
 config BROKEN
 	bool


-- 
========================================================================
Robert P. J. Day
Linux Consulting, Training and Annoying Kernel Pedantry
Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA

http://www.fsdev.dreamhosters.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
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