linux-kernel - i8k: move driver from char to hwmon

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Date:	Sun, 22 Feb 2015 12:50:49 +0100
From:	Pali Rohár <pali.rohar@...il.com>
To:	Guenter Roeck <linux@...ck-us.net>, Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>,
	"Greg Kroah-Hartman" <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
	Steven Honeyman <stevenhoneyman@...il.com>,
	Jean Delvare <jdelvare@...e.de>, Valdis.Kletnieks@...edu,
	Jochen Eisinger <jochen@...guin-breeder.org>,
	Gabriele Mazzotta <gabriele.mzt@...il.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, lm-sensors@...sensors.org
Subject: i8k: move driver from char to hwmon

Hello,

currently i8k driver for DELLDIAG SMM operations (charger, 
battery, hotkeys, temperature and fan control) supports two 
interfaces:

1) old /proc/i8k char device
2) new hwmon interface

Driver now lives in char subsystem, but nowadays I think lot of 
people are interested only in hwmon interface which provides 
temperature & fan control. Power management and hotkeys support 
(which is missing in 2) but provided by 1)) is already handled by 
ACPI or input subsystem for new laptops.

Also name "i8k" is really non intuitive what it means and 
supports... (I was told it is abbreviation for Inspirion 8000 
model which was probably first dell model supported by that 
DELLDIAG interface). Now driver is used on Vostro, Latitude and 
also Precision and XPS models. I think at least "dell" should be 
part of driver name and config option.

So I have idea for some changes:

1) Move driver from char subsystem to hwmon

2) Rename driver from i8k to something like delldiag or dellsmm

3) Add new CONFIG_ option to enable/disable /proc/i8k device and 
compile only hwmon interface support

What do you think about it?

I do not want to delete /proc/i8k interface (or break support for 
it) as there are still userspace applications which use this old 
interface and for old models it is probably only way how to 
detect power supply and multimedia hotkeys...

-- 
Pali Rohár
pali.rohar@...il.com

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