Re: pre-compiled modules

[fche@redhat.com (Frank Ch. Eigler)]

joshua.i.stone wrote:

> [...]  Your example usage was to simply compile it, save to the
> local directory, and immediately turn around and run it.  But in
> this model, I don't see what value has been added over just running
> it in one shot.

Good point.  We should think about the larger use scenarios, not just
the smaller steps convenient for our code.

> I think the value of pre-compiled modules is that it enables you to
> keep a library of modules that users can fire up at will.  [...]

Right, if for no other purpose than as a cache.  In this case, the
pre-compilation and reuse should be transparently automated.

Another general notion is running the script elsewhere or "elsewhen".
The elsewhere could be a different machine of the same platform (where
plain .ko reuse is sufficient) or a different platform (likely
cross-compilation), or perhaps even a group of machines.  The elsewhen
could be "from next kernel reboot" as in dtrace anonymous probes (and
our bug #2035), "once" as in now, or "periodically" as in cron.  

It is worth considering whether this spectrum of usage should be
addressed by systemtap, or else to make it an SEP and let people roll
their own.


- FChE