linux-kernel - Re: UIO device name

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Date:	Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:48:49 +1000
From:	Ben Nizette <bn@...sdigital.com>
To:	joakim.tjernlund@...nsmode.se
Cc:	Paul Mundt <lethal@...ux-sh.org>,
	"Hans J. Koch" <hjk@...utronix.de>, gregkh@...e.de,
	Linux-Kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: UIO device name

On Thu, 2008-09-25 at 12:05 +0200, Joakim Tjernlund wrote:
> On Thu, 2008-09-25 at 08:57 +1000, Ben Nizette wrote:
> > 
> > My software just walks /sys/class/uio/uioX/name, finds the one which
> > matches then opens the corresponding device.  No scripts needed, no
> > in-kernel hackery or policy making, just the interface used as the maker
> > intended.  What's your problem with this approach?
> 
> My problem is this, uio is a generic container for any user space device
> and by itself it doesn't mean much. You put some protocol driver on top
> of uio, such as uio_smx, to make it mean something. 
> 
> Comparing uio with hdX is wrong as hdX means something, it is a block
> device for a disk. 
> A better comparison would be if all kernel devices were named kio%d and
> you had to scan /sys to find the name hdX.

UIO drivers certainly aren't first class citizens like kernel mode
drivers.  They just aren't.

> 
> Look at the spi subsystem, the protocol drivers name them self.

UIO is an interface type, not a bus type.  UIO isn't a subsystem as
such, it's a user interface.  If the interface is consistent (even if
the backing device is different) I don't see the problem with consistent
naming.

Anyway, I don't really see the point arguing here - the interface is
what it is, it does everything it needs to to allow you to identify the
device nodes.  The kernel boys have spent a lot of effort over time
letting userspace identify and name device nodes and I don't really see
the difference here :-)

	--Ben.

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