The Linux kernel is set to remove drivers for a number of deprecated 32-bit ARM platforms, resulting in a significant reduction in code size. Longtime Linux developer Arnd Bergmann is leading the effort to remove the obsolete platforms and associated drivers.
The removal of these drivers will lighten the kernel by approximately 247,000 lines of code, alongside an initial reduction of 55,000 lines achieved after the deprecation in Linux 7.3. Affected platforms include the A1100, Footbridge, RISCPC, Orion / Dove / MV78xx0, OMAP24xx, i.MX31, i.MX targets without an MMU, LPC18xx, STM32f4/f7/h7 MCUs, Versatile MPS2, AT91 SAMV7, Axxia, and legacy PXA board files.
Bergmann has been working on the changes within the `board-remove-7.3` Git branch, which currently comprises around 300 patches. These patches account for 247,000 lines of code slated for deletion and 5,000 lines of code to be added. Bergmann indicated the removals could be included in either Linux 7.4 or 7.5, with Linux 7.5 being the more likely timeframe. Despite the substantial reduction, the overall Linux kernel source tree remains at approximately 41 million lines of code.
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