Subject: Re: [patch 01/10] e1000e: make E1000E default to the same kconfig setting as E1000

From: Jeff Garzik <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:39:26 -0500

[email-masked] wrote:
> From: Randy Dunlap <[email-masked]>
> 
> Make E1000E default to the same kconfig setting as E1000.  So people's
> machiens don't stop working when they use oldconfig.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Randy Dunlap <[email-masked]>
> Cc: Jeff Garzik <[email-masked]>
> Cc: Auke Kok <[email-masked]>
> Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <[email-masked]>
> ---
> 
>  drivers/net/Kconfig |    1 +
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
> 
> diff -puN drivers/net/Kconfig~e1000e-make-e1000e-default-to-the-same-kconfig-setting-as-e1000 drivers/net/Kconfig
> --- a/drivers/net/Kconfig~e1000e-make-e1000e-default-to-the-same-kconfig-setting-as-e1000
> +++ a/drivers/net/Kconfig
> @@ -1986,6 +1986,7 @@ config E1000_DISABLE_PACKET_SPLIT
>  config E1000E
>  	tristate "Intel(R) PRO/1000 PCI-Express Gigabit Ethernet support"
>  	depends on PCI
> +	default E1000

I am not inclined to apply this one.  This practice, applied over time, 
will tend to accumulate weird 'default' and 'select' statements.

So I think the breakage that occurs is mitigated by two factors:
1) kernel hackers that do their own configs are expected to be able to 
figure this stuff.
2) kernel builders (read: distros, mainly) are expected to have put 
thought into the Kconfig selection and driver migration strategies.

PCI IDs move across drivers from time, and we don't want to apply these 
sorts changes:  Viewed in the long term, the suggested patch is merely a 
temporary change to allow kernel experts to more easily deal with the 
PCI ID migration across drivers.

I would prefer simply to communicate to kernel experts and builders 
about a Kconfig issue that could potentially their booting/networking... 
  because this patch is only needed if the kernel experts do not already 
know about a necessary config update.

	Jeff