HEADS UP: IFF_NEEDSGIANT consumers to be disabled, removed (was: Re: Wiki page for non-MPSAFE network stack de-orbit scheduling)

[Robert Watson]

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009, Robert Watson wrote:

> The following schedule is proposed, assuming nothing goes horribly wrong 
> with the new USB code in the next few weeks, and remaining nits relating to 
> USB network and 802.11 drivers are handled:
>
> 16 February 2009	HEADS UP to lists (this e-mail)
> 01 March 2009		Disable build of all IFF_NEEDSGIANT drivers in 8.x
> 01 April 2009		Remove all IFF_NEEDSGIANT drivers from 8.x
>
> In the next couple of weeks, I'd like to resolve the status of (and 
> eliminate) the if_ndis conditional use of IFF_NEEDSGIANT.  There's also a 
> chance that if_sl will get updated by Ed and myself to work with the new 
> locking and TTY world orders -- the lock is easy, but the TTY update takes a 
> bit of work. Perhaps someone will feel moved to do this for if_ppp and 
> possibly if_cx as well.

Just a reminder that 1 March is gradually approaching.  It looks like the new 
USB stack is settling nicely, so I currently have no plans to defer the above 
schedule.

Robert N M Watson
Computer Laboratory
University of Cambridge