linux-kernel - RE: [PATCH 1/2] watchdog: introduce new watchdog AUTOSTART option

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Message-ID: <A874F61F95741C4A9BA573A70FE3998F82E4BD12@DQHE02.ent.ti.com>
Date:	Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:43:31 +0000
From:	"Kim, Milo" <Milo.Kim@...com>
To:	Guenter Roeck <linux@...ck-us.net>
CC:	"wim@...ana.be" <wim@...ana.be>,
	"linux-watchdog@...r.kernel.org" <linux-watchdog@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: RE: [PATCH 1/2] watchdog: introduce new watchdog AUTOSTART option

Hi Guenter

> I really don't like that idea. It defeats a significant part of the
> purpose
> for having a watchdog, which is to prevent user-space hangups.
> 
> To make this a driver option is even more odd - it forces every user of
> this
> driver to use it in-kernel only, and makes /dev/watchdog quite useless.
> 
> I mean, really, if you have such a watchdog, what is the point of using
> the
> watchdog infrastructure in the first place ? Just make it a kernel
> thread or
> timer-activated platform code which pings your watchdog once in a while.
> No
> need to get the watchdog infrastructure involved in the first place.
> 
> Am I missing something ?

I wanted to enable the watchdog timer without the watchdog application for
making sure the system alive.
However, I think I misunderstood the purpose of the watchdog driver.
The watchdog is for detecting user-space hangups rather than kernel stall.
Is it correct? If yes, this patch is totally wrong.

Thanks!

Milo

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