Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] module: Rename module_alloc() to text_alloc() and move to kernel proper

On Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:56:52 +0200
Jessica Yu [off-list ref] wrote:

As Ard and Will have already explained, the major issue I'm having
with this is that we're taking module_alloc(), an allocator that was
originally specific to module loading, and turning it into a generic
interface to be used by other subsystems. You're pulling in all the
module loading semantics that vary by architecture and expecting it to
work as a generic text allocator. I'm not against the existence of a
generic text_alloc() but I would very much rather that module_alloc()
be left alone to the module loader and instead work on introducing a
*separate* generic text_alloc() interface that would work for its
intended users (kprobes, bpf, etc) and have existing users of
module_alloc() switch to that instead.

Looks like the consensus is to create a separate text_alloc() that can
be used when modules are not configured in for things like ftrace
dynamic trampolines, and keep module_alloc() untouched.

For those concerned about added unused code for architectures that
don't need text_alloc(), we can always create a config called:
CONFIG_ARCH_NEED_TEXT_ALLOC, and the arch can add that to its list of
kconfigs if it intends to use text_alloc().

-- Steve