linux-kernel - Re: [tip:x86/cpu] Modify the VMware balloon driver for the new x86

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Message-ID: <4BE842C3.5040300@zytor.com>
Date:	Mon, 10 May 2010 10:30:43 -0700
From:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:	Dmitry Torokhov <dtor@...are.com>
CC:	"mingo@...hat.com" <mingo@...hat.com>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"greg@...ah.com" <greg@...ah.com>,
	"hjanssen@...rosoft.com" <hjanssen@...rosoft.com>,
	"ksrinivasan@...ell.com" <ksrinivasan@...ell.com>,
	"tglx@...utronix.de" <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	Alok Kataria <akataria@...are.com>,
	"linux-tip-commits@...r.kernel.org" 
	<linux-tip-commits@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [tip:x86/cpu] Modify the VMware balloon driver for the new x86_hyper
 API

On 05/10/2010 09:17 AM, Dmitry Torokhov wrote:
> On Monday 10 May 2010 08:23:28 am H. Peter Anvin wrote:
>> On 05/10/2010 01:06 AM, Dmitry Torokhov wrote:
>>> Source please? I was not aware that there was a standard governing
>>> returns code for module init methods.
>>
>> ENODEV means "not a device node."
>> ENXIO means "hardware not present."
>>
> 
> There is no device node in question. Again, could you please point me to
> the list of allowed error codes for init methods? According to SUS,
> we need to follow ERROR section of the appropriate function, and I do
> not believe that spec covers cases if driver binding and module loading. 
> 
> FWIW -ENODEV is explicitly allowed in our device core and means "device
> not found", especially in context of platform devices. I do not see the
> need of changing that.
> 

The problem with this abuse of ENODEV is that people start using it
elsewhere, where it *DOES* matter than ENXIO is the proper return code.
 Yes, we handle incorrect uses of ENODEV, but the right thing to do is
to teach people to use ENXIO properly.

	-hpa

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