[LinuxBIOS] changes in decompress coming.

Ronald G Minnich rminnich at lanl.gov
Fri Sep 15 17:46:09 CEST 2006


Richard Smith wrote:

> I really don't like how vague our config options are.  I am IMed by
> people all the time asking me what config option such and such does.
> I have to go grep through the code to figure it all out since I can't
> keep them straight myself.

if you're grepping code you're in the wrong place. The 
src/config/Options.lb REQUIRES a comment describing the option. There 
are 150 options -- there are 1700+ in linux.

I am attaching the result of
egrep define|comment src/config/options.lb to this message. What should 
we be doing better? I'm open to any ideas. Some of those comments are 
quite good, e.g.
define CONFIG_SERIAL_POST
         comment "Enable SERIAL POST codes"

Although the definition needs some work ...

but this one:
define MEMORY_HOLE
         comment "Set to deal with memory hole"

wins the WTF prize, I suppose.

Unless we count this:
define ROM_IMAGE_SIZE
         comment "Default image size"
define ROM_SECTION_SIZE
         comment "Default rom section size"

eh? What's a section? I think ranchers measure land in sections ...

I think it's the lousy config interface. If we had something like 
kconfig, and a <help> button, and (in some cases) better comments, I 
think it would be better.

Another really bad aspect is the various names of sizes of things that 
few people get, namely:

define FALLBACK_SIZE
define ROM_SIZE
define ROM_IMAGE_SIZE
define ROM_SECTION_SIZE
define PAYLOAD_SIZE

This stuff, in my view, sucks. I mean, ROM_IMAGE_SIZE? :-)

Here's one that ought to die:
define CONFIG_CONSOLE_SROM
         comment "Log messages to SROM console"
That's for the DEC Alpha!

I intend to fix the compression setting checks so it happens at config 
time. Beat on me if I don't do it soon.

thanks

ron
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