[dpdk-dev] [PATCH] Create kern folder for Linux kernel modules

[Van Haaren, Harry]

> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces at dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Monjalon
> Sent: Friday, December 22, 2017 11:38 AM
> To: Hemant Agrawal <hemant.agrawal at nxp.com>
> Cc: dev at dpdk.org; Yigit, Ferruh <ferruh.yigit at intel.com>
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH] Create kern folder for Linux kernel modules
> 
> 22/12/2017 11:04, Hemant Agrawal:
> > On 12/22/2017 2:13 PM, Thomas Monjalon wrote:
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > 22/12/2017 06:57, Hemant Agrawal:
> > >> This patch moves the Linux kernel modules code to a common place.
> > >>  - Separate the kernel module code from user space code.
> > >>  - The GPL-2.0 licensed code is separated from the BSD-3 licensed
> userspace
> > >>    code
> > >
> > > What is the benefit of separate things by license?
> >
> > The separation makes it easy to identify and check the license.
> >
> > Any patch introducing new file in *non-kern* folders shall not be
> > GPL-2.0 licensed.  Or GPL-2.0 license is allowed only for kern folder.
> 
> The kernel modules are in DPDK only for historical reasons.
> We should get rid of them, and rely only on upstream modules.
> 
> And it should be allowed to have kernel-related files elsewhere.
> Examples: GPL tools or BPF code.
> 
> > > These modules are Linux modules, so they should be in the linuxapp dir.
> >
> >
> > This is a cleaner separation w.r.t userspace/kernel space code.
> > *kern* is a better placefolder for LKMs.
> 
> I prefer "kernel" name.
> 
> > Also eal is not getting overloaded.
> >
> > linuxapp is part of librte_eal.  KNI is not related to EAL, but still
> > the kni kernel code is added to librte_eal under linuxapp.
> 
> Yes it makes sense.
> 
> More opinions/votes?


No strong opinion on moving source code around here... but:

We should be careful that the build system leaves the .ko and other files in the same place as before as moving the build output may break automated deployments of other projects that use DPDK.

We've accidentally broken things before, for example moving scripts/ to usertools/ broke automation in OpenStack IIRC.


> > > There are also some kernel modules in the bsdapp directory.
> >
> > We can move them as well.