[PATCH 0/7] Remove unused /dev/oldmem interface

[Andrew Morton]

On Tue, 28 May 2013 08:11:34 -0700 "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa at zytor.com> wrote:

> On 05/28/2013 07:37 AM, Vivek Goyal wrote:
> > 
> > Eric,
> > 
> > Should we schedule the removal of this interface after 1-2 releases
> > and give a warning once if anybody opens /dev/oldmem and tell them
> > to use /proc/vmcore instead? 
> > 
> > I am kind of inclined towards warning approarch. If there is any xyz
> > /dev/oldmem user in the wild out there, he/she atleast gets a chance to
> > migrate to /proc/vmcore.
> > 
> 
> This has been discussed ad nauseam at the Kernel Summit.  It doesn't work.
> 

Who said that and what was their evidence?  Giving users (especially
the more technical ones) several months warning is eminently sensible.

Although it doesn't appear to be necessary in this case.