linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v4 1/1] asus-wmi: Add support for custom fan curves

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Message-Id: <T6X4YQ.G4UP78QP23941@ljones.dev>
Date:   Fri, 20 Aug 2021 22:59:17 +1200
From:   Luke Jones <luke@...nes.dev>
To:     Bastien Nocera <hadess@...ess.net>
Cc:     linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, hdegoede@...hat.com,
        platform-driver-x86@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v4 1/1] asus-wmi: Add support for custom fan curves

On Fri, Aug 20 2021 at 12:43:17 +0200, Bastien Nocera 
<hadess@...ess.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 2021-08-20 at 22:33 +1200, Luke Jones wrote:
>>  > Am I going to get bug reports from Asus users that will complain
>>  > that
>>  > power-profiles-daemon doesn't work correctly, where I will have to
>>  > wearily ask if they're using an Asus Rog laptop?
>> 
>>  No. Definitely not. The changes to fan curves per-profile need to be
>>  explicitly enabled and set. So a new user will be unaware that this
>>  control exists (until they look for it) and their laptop will behave
>>  exactly as default.
> 
> "The user will need to change the fan curves manually so will
> definitely remember to mention it in bug reports" is a very different
> thing to "the user can't change the fan curves to be nonsensical and
> mean opposite things".

I get the impression that if I add something in-kernel to disable 
platform_profile if curves are enabled we'll end up with a very similar 
situation regardless ("Why did platform_profile disappear?" or "Why is 
platform_profile not responding?").

There is minimal validity checking in the patch, such as ensuring the 
curve is either flat or trends up, never down.

> 
> I can assure you that I will eventually get bug reports from "power
> users" who break their setup and wonder why things don't work 
> properly,
> without ever mentioning the changes they made changes to the fan
> curves, or anything else they might have changed.

Yes I can imagine. I deal with this a lot in the asus-linux discord. No 
matter what I do to alleviate it, it happens - I've kind of taken it as 
a given now. This patch doesn't change the behaviour of 
platform_profile at all however.

If possible I'd very much like to continue with the current behaviour 
and see where it takes us.

Kind regards,
Luke.