linux-kernel - Re: [PATCHv2] qla2xxx: Correct compilation issues when CONFIG

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Message-ID: <ac3eb2510909151022s5a0704c2xd4be73d5c63ab0f1@mail.gmail.com>
Date:	Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:22:03 +0200
From:	Kay Sievers <kay.sievers@...y.org>
To:	Greg KH <greg@...ah.com>
Cc:	James Bottomley <James.Bottomley@...e.de>,
	Andrew Vasquez <andrew.vasquez@...gic.com>,
	Linux SCSI Mailing List <linux-scsi@...r.kernel.org>,
	Randy Dunlap <randy.dunlap@...cle.com>,
	Stephen Rothwell <sfr@...b.auug.org.au>,
	"linux-next@...r.kernel.org" <linux-next@...r.kernel.org>,
	LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Giridhar Malavali <giridhar.malavali@...gic.com>,
	Ravi Anand <ravi.anand@...gic.com>,
	Lalit Chandivade <lalit.chandivade@...gic.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCHv2] qla2xxx: Correct compilation issues when 
	CONFIG_MOUDLES=n.

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 18:57, Greg KH <greg@...ah.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 10:47:11AM -0500, James Bottomley wrote:
>> On Tue, 2009-09-15 at 08:33 -0700, Greg KH wrote:
>> > On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 09:30:07AM -0500, James Bottomley wrote:
>> > > On Fri, 2009-09-11 at 21:33 -0700, Greg KH wrote:
>> > > > On Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 07:56:23PM -0700, Andrew Vasquez wrote:
>> > > > > On Fri, 11 Sep 2009, Greg KH wrote:
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > On Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 05:38:08PM -0700, Andrew Vasquez wrote:
>> > > > > > > Randy Dunlap noted:
>> > > > > > >
>> > > > > > >   when CONFIG_MODULES=n:
>> > > > > > >
>> > > > > > >   drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c:2685: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
>> > > > > > >
>> > > > > > >   in
>> > > > > > >
>> > > > > > >   kobject_uevent_env(&(&vha->hw->pdev->driver->driver)->owner->mkobj.kobj,
>> > > > > > >           KOBJ_CHANGE, envp);
>> > > > > > >
>> > > > > > > Trigger kobject event on the 'struct device' hanging off the pci_dev.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Um, why?  What are you trying to do here?  kobject change should not be
>> > > > > > for a device, or a "normal" kobject.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > What do you expect userspace to do with this?  Where have you documented
>> > > > > > it?
>> > > > >
>> > > > > The purpose was described here:
>> > > > >
>> > > > >       http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.scsi/54155
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Basically we'd like to instruct user-space to retrieve a blob of data
>> > > > > automatically.
>> > > >
>> > > > Hm, like a firmware object perhaps?
>> > > >
>> > > > > Original implementation used the kboject hanging off
>> > > > > the module which does not exist when CONFIG_MODULES=n.  It was
>> > > > > suggested that perhaps an alternative would be to use 'struct device'
>> > > > > kobj.  Any tips on how to trigger such a driver-specific event,
>> > > > > perhaps a dedicated kobject exported by the driver itself???
>> > > >
>> > > > Why not use the firmware interface for it, that is what it is designed
>> > > > for, and you will not have to craft any new udev rules.
>> > >
>> > > The data is going the wrong way to use the current firmware interface,
>> > > which is designed to load data from userspace into the kernel.  For this
>> > > interface, we want the data to go the other way (i.e. the kernel has a
>> > > blob of dump data it would like userspace to save if it can).
>> >
>> > Ick.
>>
>> It's a natural debugging event ... the user can simply program the
>> system to discard the dump.
>>
>> > > I'd be amenable to updating the firmware interface to do this, but it
>> > > looks like adding a completely new codepath, which it's not clear even
>> > > belongs there.
>> >
>> > Well, I don't think it deserves a kobject change event, as that means
>> > something a bit different to userspace today, right?
>>
>> Well, the documentation (in include/linux/kobject.h) does say that
>> KOBJ_CHANGED is the dumping ground for events that don't match anything
>> else, which this one seems to qualify as.  What else do you suggest?
>
> Ok, I can't think of anything else at the moment, sorry.

Wouldn't kernel/kmod.c :: call_usermodehelper_pipe() somehow fit for
that interface?

Kay
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