Re: Discuss: Future of AX25, NETROM and ROSE in the kernel ?

"Steven R. Loomis" <[email protected]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:43:52 -0500
Newsgroups org.kernel.vger.linux-hams,org.kernel.vger.netdev
Message-ID <[email protected]>
So, is an important next step, having a repo with *just* the ham items =
with its own build structure?  because there are a number of other =
modules in the repo mentioned:

https://github.com/linux-netdev/mod-orphan

--
Steven R. Loomis
K6SPI


> El abr 21, 2026, a las 7:06=E2=80=AFa.m., Dan Cross <[email protected]> =
escribi=C3=B3:
>=20
> On Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 2:28=E2=80=AFAM Hugh Blemings =
<[email protected]> wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>=20
>> Just to note in this thread (top posting as it's a bit orthogonal to =
the
>> rest of this discussion) that events have preceeded us somewhat here
>>=20
>> A patch just recently submitted removes the AX25, NETROM and ROSE =
code
>> from the kernel moving it to the mod-orphan sub tree of netdev
>>=20
>> =
https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/[email protected]/T/=
#u
>=20
> Wow, that happened much faster than I had anticipated.
>=20
>> A shame but perhaps inevitable - but I think we have a good plan
>> unfolding to both take care of medium term maintenance of the kernel
>> code (in tree or out as it may be) as well as a move to userspace in =
the
>> longer term.
>>=20
>> For the benefit of the netdev readership - we had a thread over in
>> linux-hams on this but that may not have been visible to folks in
>> netdev.  TL;DR: we think we have a way forward but appreciate this =
may
>> not be quick enough to meet the requirements/concerns put forward
>>=20
>> If we can delay removal, that'd be grand, but appreciate that moment =
may
>> have passed.
>=20
> Personally, I think this may actually turn out to be a good thing.  If
> nothing else, it's a forcing function for the ham community to get
> serious about providing an implementation that works well, and in the
> short term, an out-of-tree module can keep things working for folks
> while alternatives are investigated and prepared.
>=20
> I appreciate that folks want to discuss timing, but it doesn't appear
> that there is much else to be done at this point. It would make sense
> to continue discussion of alternatives over on linux-hams, sparing the
> already-overloaded readers of the netdev list from the sordid details.
>=20
>        - Dan C.
>          (KZ2X)