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List:       linux-kernel
Subject:    Re: bogous binfmt_misc patch in 2.2.0-pre1
From:       Arjan van de Ven <arjan () fenrus ! demon ! nl>
Date:       1999-01-01 20:44:41
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> On Fri, 1 Jan 1999, Richard Guenther wrote:
>> 
>> Could you please revert the patch you got for binfmt_misc?
>> Its wrong as it leaves binfmt_misc in a completely unusuable
>> state if CONFIG_PROC_FS is not set. (patch to revert the
>> changes and one pending change from me (remove stale variable)
>> is attached)

Linus> Reverted - it's better to get a compile-time error than then at
Linus> run-time get a non-working binfmt_misc and sit there wondering what 
Linus> the h*ll happened.. Let us not forget that compile-time errors may 
Linus> be embarrassing, but they are still a hell of a lot better than
Linus> bad run-time behaviour.

Ok. But I hope you wouldn't mind inserting into binfmt_misc something that
does:

#ifndef CONFIG_PROC_FS
#error You really need /proc support for binfmt_misc. Please reconfigure!
#endif

In my opinion, it is always nicer to #error than to let GCC give some 
obscure message, AND it gives some (=my) testing-tools a chance to know that
this is a known illegal configuration. 

BTW: Since this is your opinion, you might want to change the #warning in 
drivers/block/ide.c line 2754 into an #error, for the same reasons. 

About why not having /proc: According to Alan's buglist, there are some
issues meaning that you don't want /proc if you can consider your users
hostile (for example students on a university computer). Dummy-functions for 
config_proc_fs will cure this ofcourse.

Greetings,
    Arjan van de Ven



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