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

[Thomas Monjalon <thomas@monjalon.net>]

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?

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