linux-kernel - R: R: R: [PATCH v1] serial: 8250

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Date:   Tue, 15 Dec 2020 15:06:21 +0000
From:   Flavio Suligoi <f.suligoi@...m.it>
To:     Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
CC:     Jiri Slaby <jirislaby@...nel.org>,
        "Gustavo A . R . Silva" <gustavoars@...nel.org>,
        Ji-Ze Hong <hpeter@...il.com>,
        "linux-serial@...r.kernel.org" <linux-serial@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: R: R: R: [PATCH v1] serial: 8250_fintek: Print Fintek chip name

Hi Greg,

> > > Fintek F81216AD
> > > > 00:02: ttyS3 at I/O 0x2e8 (irq = 11, base_baud = 115200) is a 16550A
> -
> > > Fintek F81216AD
> > > >
> > > > where the "extra_name", if not empty, is printed
> > > > at the end of the line.
> > > > For practical space reasons, the "extra_name" length
> > > > can be limited to 16 chars.
> > >
> > > Why?  What tool will use this, and why would userspace care about it?
> > >
> > > What problem are you trying to solve here?
> >
> > I try to explain my requirement:
> >
> > we produce some x86 boards with multistandard RS232/422/485 ports
> > and, to have this feature, in some of these boards, we use a
> > Fintek uart or superIO.
> > So this additional info "extra_name" can be useful for
> > a quick check if the serial ports are multistandard or not,
> > without any other investigations, but using only a simple command
> > like:
> >
> > dmesg| grep ttyS
> 
> But as they work the same, why does it matter?

Yes you are right, by the user point of view, they are the same.

> 
> Userspace should not care here.  Isn't there some other id you can
> read/query for a hardware database tool to determine this?

Yes, there is. I can add this info in the BIOS, in SMBIOS table
type 8 for example, or I can read the board name and then
search in a custom database tool what peripherals are present in the board. 

> 
> Printing a random string to the kernel log is not a good way to do
> hardware descriptions in a format that everyone can easily parse them :)

Ok, right! Thanks very much for your time Greg! 😊

> thanks,
> 
> greg k-h

Best regards,
Flavio