COMPAT_FREEBSD for ever?

P

POSIX.1

Code: 
> grep COMPAT_FREEBSD /usr/src/sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD32    # Compatible with i386 binaries
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD4        # Compatible with FreeBSD4
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD5        # Compatible with FreeBSD5
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD6        # Compatible with FreeBSD6
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD7        # Compatible with FreeBSD7
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD9        # Compatible with FreeBSD9
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD10    # Compatible with FreeBSD10
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD11    # Compatible with FreeBSD11
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD12    # Compatible with FreeBSD12
options     COMPAT_FREEBSD13    # Compatible with FreeBSD13
Why are all that COMPAT_FREEBSD options in the kernel?
Why is COMPAT_FREEBSD8 not there?
Will this list grow forever?

As there is this in the ports why MUST we have it in the GENERIC kernel?
Code: 
misc/compat4x             Convenience package to install the compat4x libraries
misc/compat5x             Convenience package to install the compat5x libraries
misc/compat6x             Convenience package to install the compat6x libraries
misc/compat7x             Convenience package to install the compat7x libraries
misc/compat8x             Convenience package to install the compat8x libraries
misc/compat9x             Convenience package to install the compat9x libraries
misc/compat10x            Convenience package to install the compat10x libraries
misc/compat11x            Convenience package to install the compat11x libraries
misc/compat12x            Convenience package to install the compat12x libraries
misc/compat13x            Convenience package to install the compat13x libraries
misc/compat14x            Convenience package to install the compat13x libraries

As this COMPAT is all about legacy binaries, is it sane to enable them all?
Uhm, yes, I do know that custom kernels can be built without that.
My point is why all that is enabled in the GENERIC.
 
POSIX.1 said:
As there is this in the ports why MUST we have it in the GENERIC kernel?
Click to expand...
COMPAT_FREEBSDxx are for kernel calls compatibility, the various misc/compat4x, etc. ports are the userland components (libc for example).

The kernel components are required to run an older version jail for example (so it's perfectly fine to have a 13.4 jail on a 14.2 system), the compatNx are for running older binaries directly.
 
POSIX.1 said:
As this COMPAT is all about legacy binaries, is it sane to enable them all?
Click to expand...
Yes, COMPAT_FREEBSD12 for example is for compatibility with 12 on a 13 system. So if you are on 14 and need to run a 12 binary you need COMPAT_FREEBSD12 and COMPAT_FREEBSD13.
 
POSIX.1 said:
I'd prefer getting valid questions answered.
Click to expand...
I stand by my answer. There isn't much code added behind those defines to support those platforms, so why not?

Also note that COMPAT_FREEBSD7 is in the GENERIC kernel only on i.e Intel. Other platforms, including arm64, came later and thus don't include COMPAT_FREEBSD7.
 
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