linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2 07/16] dell-smbios: don't return an SMBIOS buffer from dell_smbios_send

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Message-ID: <20160209132736.GA7443@eudyptula.hq.kempniu.pl>
Date:	Tue, 9 Feb 2016 14:27:36 +0100
From:	Michał Kępień <kernel@...pniu.pl>
To:	Darren Hart <dvhart@...radead.org>
Cc:	Matthew Garrett <mjg59@...f.ucam.org>,
	Pali Rohár <pali.rohar@...il.com>,
	Richard Purdie <rpurdie@...ys.net>,
	Jacek Anaszewski <j.anaszewski@...sung.com>,
	platform-driver-x86@...r.kernel.org, linux-leds@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 07/16] dell-smbios: don't return an SMBIOS buffer from
 dell_smbios_send_request()

> > An SMBIOS buffer pointer does not need to be returned by
> > dell_smbios_send_request(), because SMBIOS call results are stored in
> > the buffer passed as input.
> 
> This should come before 6/16, update the commit message to reflect the module
> exported buffer (not the one passed as input), or possibly just merge this patch
> and 6/16 as correcting the use of SMBIOS buffer within the module.

I have only now noticed that I phrased the commit message for this patch
rather unfortunately as it inappropriately conveyed my reasoning.  What
I meant by "the buffer passed as input" was not "the buffer passed as an
argument to dell_smbios_send_request()", but rather "the buffer passed
to the SMI handler".  In other words, there is no reason to return a
buffer from dell_smbios_send_request(), because each caller will simply
find their output in the same buffer they used to provide input (no
matter whether the latter is passed as a function argument or accessed
using a module-wide variable).

Anyway, as even the above explanation is hardly a stellar demonstration
of clarity, I believe your idea of resolving this issue may simply be
the best one, thanks.

-- 
Best regards,
Michał Kępień