netdev - Re: [patch net-next] team: do not use -ENOENT

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Date:	Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:52:12 +0100
From:	Jiri Pirko <jiri@...nulli.us>
To:	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>
Cc:	stephen@...workplumber.org, netdev@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [patch net-next] team: do not use -ENOENT

Thu, Jan 17, 2013 at 09:42:40PM CET, davem@...emloft.net wrote:
>From: Jiri Pirko <jiri@...nulli.us>
>Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:33:47 +0100
>
>>>> @@ -2320,7 +2320,7 @@ static int team_nl_cmd_options_set(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
>>>>  			list_add(&opt_inst->tmp_list, &opt_inst_list);
>>>>  		}
>>>>  		if (!opt_found) {
>>>> -			err = -ENOENT;
>>>> +			err = -EINVAL;
>>>>  			goto team_put;
>>>>  		}
>>>>  	}
>
>
>> I'm not really sure. But in this case, I do not think that is a problem.
>> 
>> 1) I'm most probably the only one (libteam) who is using this api and
>> libteam does not mind about what err code is returned in these cases.
>> 
>> 2) In this case, it is only about different number. And one number or
>> another, it does not imply userspace to behave differently. In other words,
>> userspace should not take different actions in case for example -ENOENT
>> or -ENODEV is returned.
>
>I agree with this analysis.
>
>But for the team_nl_cmd_options_set() case, I would strongly advise
>that you use some error code more descriptive than -EINVAL.  In fact
>the existing -ENOENT I feel is better, because it tells the caller
>what kind of problem there was.
>
>Even if you don't like the fact that -ENOENT is oriented towards file
>existence, it does convey a ton more information than -EINVAL does.

I understand your feeling, because I have the same one :)
But looking all over the code and on possible err codes as well, I did
not find any suitable err code to indicate some object was not found.
And since I recently saw email from Linus about the fact that -ENOENT
should be used only in relation to files, -EINVAL the "default:" in my
"switch()".

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