2011/11/27 Greg KH <greg@xxxxxxxxx>: > On Sat, Nov 26, 2011 at 10:46:48PM +0100, Federico Vaga wrote: >> In data sabato 26 novembre 2011 12:02:16, Greg KH ha scritto: >> > On Sat, Nov 26, 2011 at 06:30:31PM +0100, Alessandro Rubini wrote: >> > > +/* >> > > + * We use the same functions to deal with attributes, but the structures >> > > + * we act on may be different (dev, cset, channel). Thus, all structures >> > > + * begin with the type identifier, and zio_obj_head is used in >> > > container_of + */ >> > >> > Because you are using container_of, you don't have to have the structure >> > at the beginning of the structure it is included in, right? >> >> Different structures have similar features and we use zio_obj_head->zobj_type to >> identify the correct container_of to apply. Sometimes we use the head only, so >> we delay container_of later. > > That's usually not a good idea, which is why we don't do it generally in > the rest of the kernel. > > You should "almost" always already know the type of device you are > pointing to when pointing to it, so that you can properly dereference > it. I think you are doing the right thing here, but the true test would > be to move that structure somewhere else other than "first" and see what > breaks. One of our next commits will be the moving of this field somewhere else in the structures for bug finding. Thank you for the suggestion. >> > > +enum zio_object_type { >> > > + ZNONE = 0, /* reserved for non zio object */ >> > > + ZDEV, ZCSET, ZCHAN, >> > > + ZTRIG, ZTI, /* trigger and trigger instance */ >> > > + ZBUF, ZBI, /* buffer and buffer instance */ >> > > +}; >> > > + >> > > +/* zio_obj_head is for internal use only, as explained above */ >> > > +struct zio_obj_head { >> > > + struct kobject kobj; >> > > + enum zio_object_type zobj_type; >> > > + char name[ZIO_NAME_LEN]; >> > > +}; >> > > +#define to_zio_head(_kobj) container_of(_kobj, struct zio_obj_head, kobj) >> > > +#define to_zio_dev(_kobj) container_of(_kobj, struct zio_device, >> > > head.kobj) +#define to_zio_cset(_kobj) container_of(_kobj, struct >> > > zio_cset, head.kobj) +#define to_zio_chan(_kobj) container_of(_kobj, >> > > struct zio_channel, head.kobj) >> > Why are you using a "raw" kobject and not 'struct device' instead? >> >> The device way was experimented and we can move in that direction. I also >> tried a mixed solution with device and kobject, because not all the zio objects >> can be device. >> >> I decided to use the kobject way because it was an easier and flexible solution >> for a fast development. >> >> > If you use a kobject, you loose all of the device tree information that a >> > real struct device provides to userspace, >> >> You mean the device sysfs tree? Acctually we don't need that information > > Yes you do, you are already using it, right? > > By using kobjects you "skip" notifying userspace the whole tree and it > only knows about "parts" of it, which is why you should not do this. > >> > and can only cause confusion in the long run. >> >> I think it can be confusing to declare a device what is not a device, for >> example: buffer, trigger, channel-set (maybe in some >> sense can be a device) and channel > > Nope, they seem like "devices" to me in that you want them showing up in > sysfs, which is why you used kobjects, right? Because of that, you are > in the device tree, so you need to use a 'struct device'. > >> > This also will provide you the "type" and name that you are needing >> > here, as well as lots of other good things (properly formatted logging >> > messages, uevents, etc.) >> >> If you refer to device_type, I think it is too complex for our purpose (also >> tried during the device "experiment"), we only need to recognize a zio object, >> we don't need al the stuff within device_type. >> >> You are right, device is full of great things and the migration to device is >> always a point of discussion, but actually kobject meet well with our needs. > > I beg to differ. > >> > Please consider moving to that instead. >> >> We can re-evaluate and better explain the choice if kobj is still the >> preferrable one > > kobject is not the preferrable one, sorry. I don't reply to each point because I suppose the point is: "kobject or device for sysfs?", maybe I misunderstood. I know that it is not a good thing reply with a new question, but I think it can clarify the problem. Why device is it preferred to export some sysfs attributes when sysfs ask me kobject? As I tested both device and kobject, I'll do a parallel implementation with device. > greg k-h > -- Federico Vaga -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-iio" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html