xref: /src/usr.bin/config/TODO

o Call module as module.

  Until now, everything is called as attribute.  Separate module from it:

	- Module is a collection of code (*.[cSo]), and provides a function.
	  Module can depend on other modules.

	- Attribute provides metadata for modules.  One module can have
	  multiple attributes.  Attribute doesn't generate a module (*.o,
	  *.ko).

o Emit everything (ioconf.*, Makefile, ...) per-attribute.

  config(9) related metadata (cfdriver, cfattach, cfdata, ...) should be
  collected using linker.  Create ELF sections like
  .{rodata,data}.config.{cfdriver,cfattach,cfdata}.  Provide reference
  symbols (e.g. cfdriverinit[]) using linker script.  Sort entries by name
  to lookup entries by binary search in kernel.

o Generate modular(9) related information.  Especially module dependency.

  At this moment modular(9) modules hardcode dependency in *.c using the
  MODULE() macro:

	MODULE(MODULE_CLASS_DRIVER, hdaudio, "pci");

  This information already exists in config(5) definitions (files.*).
  Extend config(5) to be able to specify module's class.

  Ideally these module metadata are kept somewhere in ELF headers, so that
  loaders (e.g. boot(8)) can easily read.  One idea is to abuse DYNAMIC
  sections to record dependency, as shared library does.  (Feasibility
  unknown.)

o Rename "interface attribute" to "bus".

  Instead of

	define	audiobus {}
	attach	audio at audiobus

  Do like this

	defbus	audiobus {}
	attach	audio at audiobus

o Retire "attach foo at bar with foo_bar.c"

  Most of these should be rewritten by defining a common interface attribute
  "foobus", instead of writing multiple attachments.  com(4), ld(4), ehci(4)
  are typical examples.  For ehci(4), EHCI-capable controller drivers implement
  "ehcibus" interface, like:

	defne	ehcibus {}
	device	imxehci: ehcibus

  These drivers' attach functions call config_found() to attach ehci(4) via
  the "ehcibus" interface attribute, instead of calling ehci_init() directly.
  Same for com(4) (com_attach_subr()) and ld(4) (ldattach()).

o Sort objects in more reasonable order.

  Put machdep.ko in the lowest address.  uvm.ko and kern.ko follow.

  Kill alphabetical sort (${OBJS:O} in sys/conf/Makefile.inc.kern.

  Use ldscript.  Do like this

	.text :
	AT (ADDR(.text) & 0x0fffffff)
	{
	  *(.text.machdep.locore.entry)
	  *(.text.machdep.locore)
	  *(.text.machdep)
	  *(.text)
	  *(.text.*)
	  :

  Kill linker definitions in sys/conf/Makefile.inc.kern.

o Differentiate "options" and "flags"/"params".

  "options" enables features by adding *.c files (via attributes).

  "flags" and "params" are to change contents of *.c files.  These don't add
  *.c files to the result kernel, or don't build attributes (modules).

o Make flags/params per attributes (modules).

  Basically flags and params are cpp(1) #define's generated in opt_*.h.  Make
  them local to one attributes (modules).  Flags/params which affects files
  across attributes (modules) are possible, but should be discouraged.

o Generate things only by definitions.

  In the ideal dynamically modular world, "selection" will be done not at
  compile time but at runtime.  Users select their wanted modules, by
  dynamically loading them.

  This means that the system provides all choices; that is, build all modules
  in the source tree.  Necessary information is defined in the "definition"
  part.

o Split cfdata.

  cfdata is a set of pattern matching rules to enable devices at runtime device
  auto-configuration.  It is pure data and can (should) be generated separately
  from the code.

o Allow easier adding and removing of options.

  It should be possible to add or remove options, flags, etc.,
  without regard to whether or not they are already defined.
  For example, a configuration like this:

	include GENERIC
	options FOO
	no options BAR

  should work regardless of whether or not options FOO and/or
  options BAR were defined in GENERIC.  It should not give
  errors like "options BAR was already defined" or "options FOO
  was not defined".

o Introduce "class".

  Every module should be classified as at least one class, as modular(9)
  modules already do.  For example, file systems are marked as "vfs", network
  protocols are "netproto".

  Consider to merge "devclass" into "class".

  For syntax clarity, class names could be used as a keyword to select the
  class's instance module:

	# Define net80211 module as netproto class
	class netproto
	define net80211: netproto

	# Select net80211 to be builtin
	netproto net80211

  Accordingly device/attach selection syntax should be revisited.

o Support kernel constructor/destructor (.kctors/.kdtors)

  Initialization and finalization should be called via constructors and
  destructors.  Don't hardcode those sequences as sys/kern/init_main.c:main()
  does.

  The order of .kctors/.kdtors is resolved by dependency.  The difference from
  userland is that in kernel depended ones are located in lower addresses;
  "machdep" module is the lowest.  Thus the lowest entry in .ctors must be
  executed the first.

  The .kctors/.kdtors entries are executed by kernel's main() function, unlike
  userland where start code executes .ctors/.dtors before main().  The hardcoded
  sequence of various subsystem initializations in init_main.c:main() will be
  replaced by an array of .kctors invocations, and #ifdef's there will be gone.

o Replace linkset.

  Don't allow kernel subsystems create random ELF sections (with potentially
  long names) in the final kernel.  To collect some data in statically linked
  modules, creating intermediate sections (e.g. .data.linkset.sysctl) and
  exporting the start/end symbols (e.g. _data_linkset_sysctl_{start,end})
  using linker script should be fine.

  Dynamically loaded modules have to register those entries via constructors
  (functions).  This means that dynamically loaded modules are flexible but
  come with overhead.

o Shared kernel objects.

  Since NetBSD has not established a clear kernel ABI, every single kernel
  has to build all the objects by their own.  As a result, similar kernels
  (e.g. evbarm kernels) repeatedly compile similar objects, that is waste of
  energy & space.

  Share them if possible.  For evb* ports, ideally everything except machdep.ko
  should be shared.

  While leaving optimizations as options (CPU specific optimizations, inlined
  bus_space(9) operations, etc.) for users, the official binaries build
  provided by TNF should be as portable as possible.