Message-ID: <20150813130736.GG8782@x1>
Date:	Thu, 13 Aug 2015 14:07:36 +0100
From:	Lee Jones <lee.jones@...aro.org>
To:	Jassi Brar <jassisinghbrar@...il.com>
Cc:	"linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org" 
	<linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org>,
	Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	kernel@...inux.com, Devicetree List <devicetree@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 5/6] mailbox: Add generic mechanism for testing
 Mailbox Controllers

On Thu, 13 Aug 2015, Jassi Brar wrote:

> On Thu, Aug 13, 2015 at 5:10 PM, Lee Jones <lee.jones@...aro.org> wrote:
> > On Thu, 13 Aug 2015, Jassi Brar wrote:
> >
> >> On Thu, Aug 13, 2015 at 4:30 PM, Lee Jones <lee.jones@...aro.org> wrote:
> >> > On Thu, 13 Aug 2015, Jassi Brar wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> On Thu, Aug 13, 2015 at 3:53 PM, Lee Jones <lee.jones@...aro.org> wrote:
> >> >> > On Thu, 13 Aug 2015, Jassi Brar wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> >> On Thu, Aug 13, 2015 at 2:49 PM, Lee Jones <lee.jones@...aro.org> wrote:
> >> >> >> > On Thu, 13 Aug 2015, Jassi Brar wrote:
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> > +
> >> >> >> >> >> > +static void mbox_test_prepare_message(struct mbox_client *client, void *message)
> >> >> >> >> >> > +{
> >> >> >> >> >> > +       struct mbox_test_device *tdev = dev_get_drvdata(client->dev);
> >> >> >> >> >> > +
> >> >> >> >> >> > +       if (tdev->mmio)
> >> >> >> >> >> > +               memcpy(tdev->mmio, message, MBOX_MAX_MSG_LEN);
> >> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> >> This is unlikely to work. Those platforms that need to send a 2 part
> >> >> >> >> >> message, they do :
> >> >> >> >> >> (a) Signal/Command/Target code via some controller register (via
> >> >> >> >> >> mbox_send_message).
> >> >> >> >> >> (b) Setup the payload in Shared-Memory (via tx_prepare).
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> This test driver assumes both are the same. I think you have to
> >> >> >> >> >> declare something like
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> > This driver assumes that the framework will call client->tx_prepare()
> >> >> >> >> > first, which satisfies (b).  It then assumes controller->send_data()
> >> >> >> >> > will be invoked, which will send the platform specific
> >> >> >> >> > signal/command/target code, which then satisfies (a).
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> Yeah, but what would be that code? Who provides that?
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> > In what way does it assume they are the same?
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> notice the 'message' pointer in
> >> >> >> >> mbox_send_message(tdev->tx_channel, message);
> >> >> >> >>     and
> >> >> >> >> memcpy(tdev->mmio, message, MBOX_MAX_MSG_LEN);
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> struct mbox_test_message { /* same for TX and RX */
> >> >> >> >> >>           unsigned sig_len;
> >> >> >> >> >>           void *signal;               /* rx/tx via mailbox api */
> >> >> >> >> >>           unsigned pl_len;
> >> >> >> >> >>           void *payload;           /* rx/tx via shared-memory */
> >> >> >> >> >> };
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> > How do you think this should be set and use these?
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> The userspace would want to specify the command code (32bits or not)
> >> >> >> >> that would be passed via the fifo/register of the controller. So we
> >> >> >> >> need signal[]
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> The data to be passed via share-memory could be provided by userspace
> >> >> >> >> via the payload[] array.
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > Okay, so would the solution be two userspace files 'signal' and
> >> >> >> > 'message', so in the case of a client specified signal we can write it
> >> >> >> > into there first.
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > echo 255  > signal
> >> >> >> > echo test > message
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > ... or in the case where no signal is required, or the controller
> >> >> >> > driver taking care of it, we just don't write anything to signal?
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> file_operations.write() should parse signal and message, coming from
> >> >> >> userspace, into a local structure before routing them via
> >> >> >> mbox_send_message and tx_prepare respectively.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Okay.  So before I code this up we should agree on syntax.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > How would you like to represent the break between signal and message?
> >> >> > Obviously ' ' would be a bad idea, as some clients may want to send
> >> >> > messages with white space contained.  How about '\t' or '\n'?
> >> >> >
> >> >> Yeah, I am not a fan of markers and flags either.
> >> >>
> >> >> Maybe we should share with userspace
> >> >>   struct mbox_test_message { /* same for TX and RX */
> >> >>            unsigned sig_len;
> >> >>            void __user *signal;        /* rx/tx via mailbox api */
> >> >>            unsigned pl_len;
> >> >>            void __user *payload;    /* rx/tx via shared-memory */
> >> >>   };
> >> >>
> >> >> First copy_from_user the structure of length sizof(struct
> >> >> mbox_test_message) and then copy_from_user length sig_len and pl_len
> >> >> from signal[] and payload[] respectively (usually ioctls would carry
> >> >> such data).
> >> >
> >> > Simplicity and ease of use should be the goals here.  Testers should
> >> > not have to write applications to use this driver.  Can we come up
> >> > with a simple/effective method that uses SYSFS/DEBUGFS please?
> >> >
> >> > The easiest way I can think of which avoids markers/separators AND the
> >> > requirement for users to have to write applications is to have two
> >> > files, 'signal' and 'message' as mentioned before.  Once both are
> >> > populated I can get this driver to draft the message appropriately and
> >> > fire it off.
> >> >
> >> And then write to more files for RX data? ... which should also be in
> >> the form of 'signal' and 'message'.
> >>
> >> BTW like for spi there is a stock application in
> >> Documentation/spi/spidev_test.c we could do the same?
> >
> > Coming from personal experience, testing drivers with (even stock)
> > applications is much more painful that simply writing/reading
> > (cat/echo) to a file in SYSFS/DEBUGFS.  Particularly if people are
> > using initramfs or thelike.  If it is possible to use SYSFS/DEBUGFS,
> > which it is in this case, then I believe that's the route we could go
> > down.
> >
> Well, where could sysfs/debugfs not be used? :)  Anyways I am ok if
> prefer debugfs.

You know what I mean; CPIO et. al.

> > In answer to your question; we only need those two files.  The reply
> > can be placed back into 'message' and can be read from there.
> >
> Testing shouldn't be restricted to 'send command and receive reply'.
> What if Linux only listens to broadcasts from the remote? Who knows
> someone might want to (ab)use this test client to implement userspace
> handler of remote commands?
> So please see RX to be independent of TX.

Sure.

Now just agree with me that mbox_request_chan() should fail on request
of a known bad configuration request and I can code all this up and
re-submit. :D

-- 
Lee Jones
Linaro STMicroelectronics Landing Team Lead
Linaro.org │ Open source software for ARM SoCs
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