Re: [PATCH] tty: synclink_gt: remove broken driver
From: Jiri Slaby <jirislaby@kernel.org>
Date: 2026-01-29 11:41:10
Also in:
linux-doc, linux-serial, netdev
On 29. 01. 26, 8:51, Ethan Nelson-Moore wrote:
The synclink_gt driver was marked as broken in commit 426263d5fb40
("tty: synclink_gt: mark as BROKEN") in July 2023 because it had severe
structural problems and there had been no evidence of users since 2016.
Since then, no meaningful improvements have been made to the driver,
and it is unlikely that will ever happen due to the lack of interest.
Drop the driver and references to it in comments and documentation.Overall, I am all for it, but a few remarks:
Signed-off-by: Ethan Nelson-Moore <redacted> --- .../userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst | 2 +- arch/powerpc/configs/ppc6xx_defconfig | 1 - drivers/net/ppp/Kconfig | 4 +- drivers/tty/Kconfig | 11 +- drivers/tty/Makefile | 1 - drivers/tty/n_hdlc.c | 7 - drivers/tty/synclink_gt.c | 5038 ----------------- include/linux/synclink.h | 37 -
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
include/uapi/linux/synclink.h | 301 -
Have you checked this is not included in any relevant userspace? How? Hints: debian code search, github...
quoted hunk ↗ jump to hunk
diff --git a/Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst b/Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst index 7232b3544cec..8abedab9fea7 100644 --- a/Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst +++ b/Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ Code Seq# Include File Comments 'm' 00-09 linux/mmtimer.h conflict! 'm' all linux/mtio.h conflict! 'm' all linux/soundcard.h conflict! -'m' all linux/synclink.h conflict! +'m' all linux/synclink.h Dead since 2026
I would just drop the line, removing one conflicting entry. The letter is not going to be dead. Or is this Dead note some ioctl-number's policy?
quoted hunk ↗ jump to hunk
--- a/drivers/tty/n_hdlc.c +++ b/drivers/tty/n_hdlc.c@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ * Written by Paul Fulghum paulkf@microgate.com * for Microgate Corporation * - * Microgate and SyncLink are registered trademarks of Microgate Corporation - * * Adapted from ppp.c, written by Michael Callahan <callahan@maths.ox.ac.uk>, * Al Longyear <longyear@netcom.com>, * Paul Mackerras <Paul.Mackerras@cs.anu.edu.au>@@ -54,11 +52,6 @@ * this line discipline (or another line discipline that is frame * oriented such as N_PPP). * - * The SyncLink driver (synclink.c) implements both asynchronous - * (using standard line discipline N_TTY) and synchronous HDLC - * (using N_HDLC) communications, with the latter using the above - * conventions.
This paragraph actually talks about long removed synclink.c, removed in: a1f714b44e34 tty: Remove redundant synclink driver But OK, let's kick all the remaining traces of synclinks. thanks, -- js suse labs