Hi, This patch series provides preferred name into kernel and procfs messages. Preferred name is user's preferred name for a device. The purpose of this feature is to solve the persistent device naming issues which was discussed here: http://marc.info/?l=linux-scsi&m=130200794615884&w=2 There are four issues. 1. kernel messages doesn't show persistent device names 2. procfs messages doesn't show persistent device names 3. Some commands didn't support persistent device name in arguments 4. Some commands message didn't show persistent device names Then I suggested the intermediate device naming which changes the naming scheme, but it was rejected. I realized that we should use udev to provide persistent device names instead of change the naming scheme. In LKML discussion, a new idea was suggested by James Bottomley. This idea allows kernel messages show preferred names by adding a new attribute to a device, kernel messages show this new attribute. This idea's advantage is not to change the current naming scheme. I tried implementation of preferred name, and then there are two discussion points. (a) Which devices need support? Preferred name is stored in struct device. Therefore it is available for all devices if we make preferred name support with other device types. This patch series only support scsi block device. Is there the device which needs support? (e.g. Ntwork devices, generic SCSI devices, etc.) (b) What kind of procfs form is good? I implemented preferred name something like this, (preferred name assigned foo to sda) #cat /proc/partitions major minor #blocks name 8 0 488386584 foo 8 1 194560 foo1 ... Do you needs device name filed? Something like this, (preferred name assigned foo to sda) #cat /proc/partitions major minor #blocks name preferred 8 0 488386584 sda foo 8 1 194560 sda1 foo1 ... Issue 3 and 4 is command releated issue. Commands have to be modified to use preferred name. We need to create library for preferred name. Our goal is to solve those issues, and users can use and see preferred name anywhere. TODO: - To change kernel messages I'm going to change a device name to a preferred name by dev_name() in mmc, blk-core, sg, sr, st, fs, etc. I would welcome any thoughts, comments and suggestions. Thanks, --- Nao Nishijima (3): [RFC] fs: print preferred name in procfs messages [RFC] sd: print preferred name in kernel messages. [RFC] genhd: add a new attribute in device structure block/genhd.c | 28 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ drivers/scsi/sd.c | 2 +- drivers/scsi/sd.h | 2 +- fs/partitions/check.c | 8 +++++--- include/linux/device.h | 9 +++++++++ include/scsi/scsi_device.h | 2 +- 6 files changed, 45 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) -- Nao Nishijima (nao.nishijima.xt@xxxxxxxxxxx) -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-scsi" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
