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Bcachefs may be headed out of the kernel

(lwn.net)
144 points ksec | 3 comments | 04 Jul 25 13:32 UTC | HN request time: 0.637s | source
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charcircuit ◴[04 Jul 25 17:11 UTC] No.44466214[source]▶
If Linux would add a stable kernel module API this wouldn't be a huge a problem and it would be easy for bcachefs to ship as a kernel module with his own independent release schedule.
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homebrewer ◴[04 Jul 25 17:17 UTC] No.44466273[source]▶
It would also have a lot less FOSS drivers, neither we nor FreeBSD (which is often invoked in these complaints) would have amdgpu for example.
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charcircuit ◴[04 Jul 25 17:24 UTC] No.44466334[source]▶
I would actually posture that making it easier to make drivers would actually have the opposite effect and result in more FOSS drivers.

>FreeBSD (which is often invoked in these complaints) would have amdgpu for example.

In such a hypothetical FreeBSD could reimplement the stable API of Linux.

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1. smcameron ◴[04 Jul 25 17:51 UTC] No.44466515[source]▶
No, every gpu vendor out there would prefer proprietary drivers and with a stable ABI, they could do it, and would do, there is no question about it.

I worked for HP on storage drivers for a decade or so, and had their been a stable ABI, HP would have shipped proprietary storage drivers for everything. Even without a stable ABI, they shipped proprietary drivers at considerable effort, compiling for myriad different distro kernels. It was a nightmare, and good thing too, or there wouldn't be any open source drivers.

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2. charcircuit ◴[04 Jul 25 19:48 UTC] No.44467335[source]▶
I never said they wouldn't. Having more and better drivers is a good thing for Linux users. It's okay for proprietary drivers to exist. The kernel isn't meant to be a vehicle to push the free software agenda.
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3. ◴[05 Jul 25 01:46 UTC] No.44469486[source]▶