LinuxCNC · grandixximo · Sep 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026 · Sep 11, 2026
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ linuxcnc (1:2.10.0~pre1) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   [ andypugh ]
   * Add a finite-jerk trajectory planner
 
+  [ Luca Toniolo ]
+  * Deprecate the RTAI-kernel-only hardware drivers (hal_stg, hal_motenc,
+    hal_vti, hal_evoreg, hal_ax5214h, opto_ac5, pci_8255, pcl720,
+    pluto_servo, pluto_step). They are not built for uspace and will be
+    removed in a future release.
+
  -- andypugh <andy@bodgesoc.org>  Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:15:18 +0000
 
 linuxcnc (1:2.9.8) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium

diff --git a/docs/src/Submakefile b/docs/src/Submakefile
@@ -495,9 +495,12 @@ docs: manpages
 clean: clean-manpages clean-translated
 	-rm -f $(DOC_DIR)/html
 clean-manpages:
-	-rm -f $(GENERATED_MANPAGES)
-	# Remove generated alias man pages too.
-	$(RM) $$(grep -lr '^\.so ' $(DOC_MAN)/man*)
+	# Everything under $(DOC_MAN) is generated (halcompile output,
+	# asciidoctor output from docs/src/man, alias pages, translations).
+	# GENERATED_MANPAGES depends on BUILD_SYS, so removing by list leaves
+	# stale files behind (e.g. kbuild-only driver manpages on a uspace
+	# tree), which later confuse gen_complist.py.  Wipe the whole tree.
+	-$(RM) -r $(DOC_MAN)
 clean-translated:
 	-$(RM) -r $(GENERATED_TRANSLATED)
 

diff --git a/docs/src/drivers/ax5214h.adoc b/docs/src/drivers/ax5214h.adoc
@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@
 [[cha:ax5214-driver]]
 = AX5214H Driver
 
+[WARNING]
+.Deprecation warning
+====
+This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
+It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard
+preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+If you still use this hardware, let us know on the LinuxCNC forum or
+the emc-developers mailing list,
+see https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/issues/4505.
+====
+
 The Axiom Measurement & Control AX5214H is a 48 channel digital I/O
 board. It plugs into an ISA bus, and resembles a pair of 8255 chips. In
 fact it may be a pair of 8255 chips, but I'm not sure. If/when someone

diff --git a/docs/src/drivers/motenc.adoc b/docs/src/drivers/motenc.adoc
@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@
 [[cha:motenc]]
 = Motenc Driver
 
+[WARNING]
+.Deprecation warning
+====
+This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
+It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard
+preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+If you still use this hardware, let us know on the LinuxCNC forum or
+the emc-developers mailing list,
+see https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/issues/4505.
+====
+
 Vital Systems Motenc-100 and Motenc-LITE
 
 The Vital Systems Motenc-100 and Motenc-LITE are 8- and 4-channel

diff --git a/docs/src/drivers/opto22.adoc b/docs/src/drivers/opto22.adoc
@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@
 [[cha:opto22]]
 = Opto22 Driver
 
+[WARNING]
+.Deprecation warning
+====
+This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
+It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard
+preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+If you still use this hardware, let us know on the LinuxCNC forum or
+the emc-developers mailing list,
+see https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/issues/4505.
+====
+
 *PCI AC5 ADAPTER CARD / HAL DRIVER*
 
 == The Adapter Card

diff --git a/docs/src/drivers/pluto-p.adoc b/docs/src/drivers/pluto-p.adoc
@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@
 [[cha:pluto-p-driver]]
 = Pluto P Driver
 
+[WARNING]
+.Deprecation warning
+====
+This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
+It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard
+preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+If you still use this hardware, let us know on the LinuxCNC forum or
+the emc-developers mailing list,
+see https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/issues/4505.
+====
+
 == General Info
 
 The Pluto-P is a FPGA board featuring the ACEX1K chip from Altera.

diff --git a/docs/src/drivers/servo-to-go.adoc b/docs/src/drivers/servo-to-go.adoc
@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@
 [[cha:servo-to-go]]
 = Servo To Go Driver
 
+[WARNING]
+.Deprecation warning
+====
+This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
+It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard
+preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+If you still use this hardware, let us know on the LinuxCNC forum or
+the emc-developers mailing list,
+see https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/issues/4505.
+====
+
 The Servo-To-Go (STG) is one of the first PC motion control cards supported
 by LinuxCNC. It is an ISA card and it exists in different flavors (all
 supported by this driver). The board includes up to 8 channels of

diff --git a/docs/src/hal/components.adoc b/docs/src/hal/components.adoc
@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ To search in the man pages, use the UNIX tool `apropos`.
 | link:../man/man9/mesa_7i65.9.html[mesa_7i65] |Mesa Electronics driver for the 7I65 eight-axis servo card. (See the man page for more information) ||
 | link:../man/man9/mesa_pktgyro_test.9.html[mesa_pktgyro_test] |PktUART simple test with Microstrain 3DM-GX3-15 gyro ||
 | link:../man/man9/mesa_uart.9.html[mesa_uart] |An example component demonstrating how to access the Hostmot2 UART ||
-| link:../man/man9/opto_ac5.9.html[opto_ac5] |Realtime driver for opto22 PCI-AC5 cards ||
-| pluto_servo |Pluto-P <<cha:pluto-p-driver,driver>> and firmware for the parallel port FPGA, for servos ||
-| pluto_step |Pluto-P <<cha:pluto-p-driver,driver>> for the parallel port FPGA, for steppers ||
+| link:../man/man9/opto_ac5.9.html[opto_ac5] |Realtime <<cha:opto22,driver>> for opto22 PCI-AC5 cards (deprecated, RTAI kernel builds only) ||
+| pluto_servo |Pluto-P <<cha:pluto-p-driver,driver>> and firmware for the parallel port FPGA, for servos (deprecated, RTAI kernel builds only) ||
+| pluto_step |Pluto-P <<cha:pluto-p-driver,driver>> for the parallel port FPGA, for steppers (deprecated, RTAI kernel builds only) ||
 | link:../man/man9/serport.9.html[serport] |Hardware driver for the digital I/O bits of the 8250 and 16550 serial port ||
 | link:../man/man9/setsserial.9.html[setsserial] |An utility for setting Smart Serial NVRAM parameters ||
 | link:../man/man9/sserial.9.html[sserial] |hostmot2 - Smart Serial LinuxCNC HAL driver for the Mesa Electronics HostMot2 Smart-Serial remote cards ||

diff --git a/docs/src/man/man9/opto_ac5.9.adoc b/docs/src/man/man9/opto_ac5.9.adoc
@@ -10,6 +10,17 @@ opto_ac5 - Realtime driver for opto22 PCI-AC5 cards
 
 == DESCRIPTION
 
+[WARNING]
+.Deprecation warning
+====
+This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
+It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard
+preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+If you still use this hardware, let us know on the LinuxCNC forum or
+the emc-developers mailing list,
+see https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/issues/4505.
+====
+
 These pins and parameters are created by the realtime *opto_ac5* module.
 The portconfig0 and portconfig1 variables are used to configure the two
 ports of each card. The first 24 bits of a 32 bit number represent the

diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ genclean:
 	-rm -rf objects
 	-rm -f $(TARGETS)
 	-rm -f ../lib/*.so.[0-9]*
-	-rm -f $(GENERATED_MANPAGES)
+	-rm -rf ../docs/build/man
 	-rm -f ../rtlib/*.$(MODULE_EXT)
 	-rm -f hal/components/conv_*.comp
 
@@ -1002,8 +1002,6 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_HAL_MOTENC) += hal_motenc.o
 hal_motenc-objs := hal/drivers/hal_motenc.o $(MATHSTUB)
 obj-$(CONFIG_HAL_AX521H) += hal_ax5214h.o
 hal_ax5214h-objs := hal/drivers/hal_ax5214h.o $(MATHSTUB)
-obj-$(CONFIG_HAL_SKELETON) += hal_skeleton.o
-hal_skeleton-objs := hal/drivers/hal_skeleton.o $(MATHSTUB)
 obj-$(CONFIG_OPTO_AC5) += opto_ac5.o
 opto_ac5-objs := hal/drivers/opto_ac5.o $(MATHSTUB)
 endif

diff --git a/src/Makefile.inc.in b/src/Makefile.inc.in
@@ -214,7 +214,6 @@ CONFIG_PROBE_PARPORT=m
 CONFIG_HAL_TIRO=m
 CONFIG_HAL_EVOREG=m
 CONFIG_HAL_MOTENC=m
-CONFIG_HAL_SKELETON=m
 CONFIG_HAL_SPEAKER=m
 CONFIG_HAL_STG=m
 CONFIG_HAL_VTI=m

diff --git a/src/hal/drivers/pcl720.comp b/src/hal/drivers/pcl720.comp
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 component pcl720 """Driver for the Advantech PCL 720 card.""";
-description """This driver supports the Advantech PCL720 ISA card. It might
+description """
+DEPRECATED: This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+
+This driver supports the Advantech PCL720 ISA card. It might
 work with the PCI version too, but this is untested. 
  It creates hal pins corresponding to the digital inputs and outputs, but does
 not support the the counters/timers.""";

diff --git a/src/hal/drivers/pluto_servo.comp b/src/hal/drivers/pluto_servo.comp
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 component pluto_servo """Hardware driver and firmware for the Pluto-P parallel-port FPGA, for use with servo machines.""";
 
 description """
+DEPRECATED: This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+
 Pluto_servo is a LinuxCNC software driver and associated firmware that allow the Pluto-P board to be used to control a servo-based CNC machine.
 
 The driver has 4 PWM channels, 4 quadrature channels with index pulse, 18

diff --git a/src/hal/drivers/pluto_step.comp b/src/hal/drivers/pluto_step.comp
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ may give improved step regularity at low step speeds.
 .RE""";
 
 description """
+DEPRECATED: This driver is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. It is only built for RTAI kernels; it is not available in the standard preempt-rt (uspace) builds.
+
 Pluto_step is a LinuxCNC software driver and associated firmware that allow the Pluto-P board to be used to control a stepper-based CNC machine.
 
 The driver has 4 step+direction channels, 14 dedicated digital outputs, and 16