build linux-next without perl

Before 2.6.25 building Linux never required perl. This patch series removes the requirement from basic kernel builds (tested on i686, x86_64, arm, mips, powerpc, sparc, sh4, and m68k). Now updated to 3.8-rc1.

Note, this removes perl from the _build_ environment, not from the _development_ environment. This is approximately the same logic behind "make menuconfig" requiring curses but "make oldconfig" not requiring curses. Including zconf.lex.c_shipped in kconfig and then requiring perl makes no sense.

Earlier versions have been posted to the mailing list over, and over, and over:

http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1212.2/00734.html
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1201.2/02849.html
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0912.1/00093.htm
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0909.2/01661.html
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0901.0/00772.html
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0901.0/00148.html
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0802.1/4393.html

They've also been posted individually rather than as a series:
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1101.2/00650.html
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1101.2/00115.html

Mentioned during related perl removal patches from other people:
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0910.0/02145.html

And so on. So here it is again. The most up to date version of these patches is always available at http://landley.net/hg/aboriginal in the sources/patches directory. Specifically, check:

http://landley.net/hg/aboriginal/log/tip/sources/patches/linux-noperl-capflags.patch
http://landley.net/hg/aboriginal/log/tip/sources/patches/linux-noperl-headers.patch
http://landley.net/hg/aboriginal/log/tip/sources/patches/linux-noperl-timeconst.patch

(Earlier versions had the kernel version number in the filename, so you'll have to dig in the repository a bit to find them if you want the version for an older kernel.)

Mostly people just copy the patches into their local projects (ala
https://github.com/rofl0r/sabotage/tree/master/KEEP ) but I'm reposting them to linux-kernel after Gentoo considered using these patches, but didn't because they weren't upstream:
https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=421483

Here's either Peter Anvin or Greg KH (not quite sure which) suggesting removing timeconst.pl:
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1302.3/00506.html

Here's Sam Ravnborg acking the headers_install patch:
https://lkml.org/lkml/2013/2/15/121

Here's Michal Marek reviewing the headers_install patch (his suggestions are incorporated in this version):
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1302.3/00078.html

Here's somebody else reminding me to repost the patch series:
http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1302.0/00607.html

Plus various people keep poking me and asking about it. I'll see who I can remember to ping.

(Sorry for the delay. Balsa is such a horrible email client I wrote a python script to send this email. Took a while to debug. Probably still likely to screw something up...)