[PATCH] deprecated/obsolete patch

["Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@mindspring.com>]

  here's a slightly revised wording, if that makes it clearer:

diff --git a/init/Kconfig b/init/Kconfig
index f977086..d5ab6ec 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-	  drivers that have been replaced by something else, and/or are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 has been tagged as "deprecated" generally still works and
+	  is probably still supported, but there is already a newer and better
+	  alternative available and you should seriously consider switching to
+	  that newer alternative.
+
+	  Code that is marked as deprecated for quite some time also has a
+	  tendency to eventually become "obsolete," at which point it will
+	  probably be removed entirely from the kernel.
+
+config OBSOLETE
+	bool "Prompt for obsolete code/drivers"
+	default n
+	---help---
+	  Code that has been tagged as "obsolete" is no longer officially
+	  supported and shouldn't play a part in any normal build.  Obsolete
+	  code might already be scheduled for removal as well, so you might
+	  want to check the file Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt for
+	  any proposed removal dates.
+
 config BROKEN
 	bool


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

http://fsdev.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
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