linux/drivers
Ken Chen 7328508274 remove artificial software max_loop limit
Remove artificial maximum 256 loop device that can be created due to a
legacy device number limit.  Searching through lkml archive, there are
several instances where users complained about the artificial limit that
the loop driver impose.  There is no reason to have such limit.

This patch rid the limit entirely and make loop device and associated block
queue instantiation on demand.  With on-demand instantiation, it also gives
the benefit of not wasting memory if these devices are not in use (compare
to current implementation that always create 8 loop devices), a net
improvement in both areas.  This version is both tested with creation of
large number of loop devices and is compatible with existing losetup/mount
user land tools.

There are a number of people who worked on this and provided valuable
suggestions, in no particular order, by:

Jens Axboe
Jan Engelhardt
Christoph Hellwig
Thomas M

Signed-off-by: Ken Chen <kenchen@google.com>
Cc: Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@linux01.gwdg.de>
Cc: Christoph Hellwig <hch@lst.de>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
..
acorn
acpi header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
amba
ata Merge branch 'for-linus' of master.kernel.org:/home/rmk/linux-2.6-arm 2007-05-06 13:20:10 -07:00
atm PCI: Cleanup the includes of <linux/pci.h> 2007-05-02 19:02:35 -07:00
auxdisplay
base Introduce CONFIG_HAS_DMA 2007-05-07 12:12:51 -07:00
block remove artificial software max_loop limit 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
bluetooth [Bluetooth] Correct SCO buffer for another Broadcom based dongle 2007-05-05 00:36:22 +02:00
cdrom mm: remove destroy_dirty_buffers from invalidate_bdev() 2007-05-07 12:12:55 -07:00
char Make /dev/port conditional on config symbol 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
clocksource
connector
cpufreq Add a new deferrable delayed work init 2007-05-08 11:15:05 -07:00
crypto [CRYPTO] padlock: Remove pointless padlock module 2007-05-02 22:08:26 +10:00
dio
dma
edac Fix 82875 PCI setup 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
eisa virtual_eisa_root_init() should be __init 2007-05-08 11:15:02 -07:00
fc4
firmware remove "struct subsystem" as it is no longer needed 2007-05-02 18:57:59 -07:00
hid header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
hwmon Apple SMC driver (hardware monitoring and control) 2007-05-08 11:15:00 -07:00
i2c header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
ide ide-cs: recognize 2GB CompactFlash from Transcend 2007-05-05 22:03:51 +02:00
ieee1394 header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
infiniband header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
input header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
isdn header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
kvm KVM: Remove unused 'instruction_length' 2007-05-03 10:52:32 +03:00
leds
macintosh header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
mca
md Remove do_sync_file_range() 2007-05-08 11:15:04 -07:00
media header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
message remove unused header file: drivers/message/i2o/i2o_lan.h 2007-05-08 11:15:02 -07:00
mfd header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
misc Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/drzeus/mmc 2007-05-04 21:44:34 -07:00
mmc Merge branch 'for-linus' of master.kernel.org:/home/rmk/linux-2.6-arm 2007-05-06 13:20:10 -07:00
mtd slab allocators: Remove SLAB_DEBUG_INITIAL flag 2007-05-07 12:12:57 -07:00
net header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
nubus
oprofile
parisc header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
parport legacy PC parports support parport->dev 2007-05-08 11:15:05 -07:00
pci header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
pcmcia add new_id to PCMCIA drivers 2007-05-07 12:12:50 -07:00
pnp init dma masks in pnp_dev 2007-05-08 11:15:00 -07:00
ps3 ps3av: Use __func__ instead of __FUNCTION__ 2007-05-04 17:59:09 -07:00
rapidio
rtc rtc: add RTC class driver for the Maxim MAX6900 2007-05-08 11:15:03 -07:00
s390 Merge master.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jejb/scsi-misc-2.6 2007-05-05 13:30:44 -07:00
sbus header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
scsi header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
serial header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
sh
sn
spi layered parport code uses parport->dev 2007-05-08 11:15:05 -07:00
tc
telephony replace pci_find_device in drivers/telephony/ixj.c 2007-05-08 11:15:02 -07:00
usb header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
video header cleaning: don't include smp_lock.h when not used 2007-05-08 11:15:07 -07:00
w1
zorro Amiga Zorro bus: kill resource_size_t warnings 2007-05-04 17:59:08 -07:00
Kconfig
Makefile i2c: Add i2c_board_info and i2c_new_device() 2007-05-01 23:26:31 +02:00