[ovs-dev] Documentation: Remove references to kernel datapath in OVS tree.

The Kernel datapath is no longer present in the primary development
branch of the OVS tree. Remove references to this in the documentation.

Signed-off-by: Simon Horman <horms@ovn.org>
---
 Documentation/faq/releases.rst                               | 3 ---
 Documentation/internals/contributing/backporting-patches.rst | 7 +------
 2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 9 deletions(-)

On 3/21/24 11:03, Simon Horman wrote:
> The Kernel datapath is no longer present in the primary development
> branch of the OVS tree. Remove references to this in the documentation.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Simon Horman <horms@ovn.org>
> ---
>  Documentation/faq/releases.rst                               | 3 ---
>  Documentation/internals/contributing/backporting-patches.rst | 7 +------
>  2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 9 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/faq/releases.rst b/Documentation/faq/releases.rst
> index 49b987b610c3..62bf7739164f 100644
> --- a/Documentation/faq/releases.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/faq/releases.rst
> @@ -256,9 +256,6 @@ Q: I get an error like this when I configure Open vSwitch:
>        that one, because it may support the kernel that you are building
>        against.  (To find out, consult the table in the previous FAQ.)
>  
> -    - The Open vSwitch "master" branch may support the kernel that you are
> -      using, so consider building the kernel module from "master".
> -

This change seem a little strange.  This question by itself should
be changed and the answer re-written.  Users should not have this
error on recent releases, but since we're still supporting 2.17, some
people may still get this error and may look for an answer on the
website.  So, we should keep the question and an answer in some
capacity.

I agree that referencing master branch here is incorrect, since that
branch doesn't actually contain the kernel module code.  But we may
direct people to branch-2.17 instead and point out that it is the
last branch that contains code for the module.

There are few other FAQ qustions around here that may also use some
re-wording.  We may fully remove them next year when 2.17 goes EoL.

>      All versions of Open vSwitch userspace are compatible with all versions of
>      the Open vSwitch kernel module, so you do not have to use the kernel module
>      from one source along with the userspace programs from the same source.
> diff --git a/Documentation/internals/contributing/backporting-patches.rst b/Documentation/internals/contributing/backporting-patches.rst
> index 0ef7f5beb9b0..cfe32dfda53b 100644
> --- a/Documentation/internals/contributing/backporting-patches.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/internals/contributing/backporting-patches.rst
> @@ -51,12 +51,7 @@ branches.
>  
>  For Linux datapath code, the primary development branch is in the `net-next`_
>  tree as described in the section below, and patch discussion occurs on the
> -`netdev`__ mailing list. Patches are first applied to the upstream branch by the
> -networking maintainer, then the contributor backports the patch to the Open
> -vSwitch `master` development branch. Patches in this category may include
> -features which have been applied upstream, or bugfixes to the Open vSwitch
> -datapath code. For bugfixes, the patches subsequently follow the regular Open
> -vSwitch process as described above to reach older branches.
> +`netdev`__ mailing list.
>  
>  __ https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/
>  
> 
> _______________________________________________
> dev mailing list
> dev@openvswitch.org
> https://mail.openvswitch.org/mailman/listinfo/ovs-dev
>

On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 06:23:43PM +0100, Ilya Maximets wrote:
> On 3/21/24 11:03, Simon Horman wrote:
> > The Kernel datapath is no longer present in the primary development
> > branch of the OVS tree. Remove references to this in the documentation.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Simon Horman <horms@ovn.org>
> > ---
> >  Documentation/faq/releases.rst                               | 3 ---
> >  Documentation/internals/contributing/backporting-patches.rst | 7 +------
> >  2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 9 deletions(-)
> > 
> > diff --git a/Documentation/faq/releases.rst b/Documentation/faq/releases.rst
> > index 49b987b610c3..62bf7739164f 100644
> > --- a/Documentation/faq/releases.rst
> > +++ b/Documentation/faq/releases.rst
> > @@ -256,9 +256,6 @@ Q: I get an error like this when I configure Open vSwitch:
> >        that one, because it may support the kernel that you are building
> >        against.  (To find out, consult the table in the previous FAQ.)
> >  
> > -    - The Open vSwitch "master" branch may support the kernel that you are
> > -      using, so consider building the kernel module from "master".
> > -
> 
> This change seem a little strange.  This question by itself should
> be changed and the answer re-written.  Users should not have this
> error on recent releases, but since we're still supporting 2.17, some
> people may still get this error and may look for an answer on the
> website.  So, we should keep the question and an answer in some
> capacity.
> 
> I agree that referencing master branch here is incorrect, since that
> branch doesn't actually contain the kernel module code.  But we may
> direct people to branch-2.17 instead and point out that it is the
> last branch that contains code for the module.
> 
> There are few other FAQ qustions around here that may also use some
> re-wording.  We may fully remove them next year when 2.17 goes EoL.

Thanks Ilya,

I'll work on updating this as you suggest.

I agree that we need to keep some documentation around
until 2.17 goes EOL.

...