linux-kernel - Re: [RFC PATCH 2/9] ntsync: Reserve a minor device number and ioctl range.

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Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:59:13 -0600
From: Elizabeth Figura <zfigura@...eweavers.com>
To: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
Cc: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
 linux-api@...r.kernel.org, wine-devel@...ehq.org,
 André Almeida <andrealmeid@...lia.com>,
 Wolfram Sang <wsa@...nel.org>, Arkadiusz Hiler <ahiler@...eweavers.com>,
 Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>
Subject:
 Re: [RFC PATCH 2/9] ntsync: Reserve a minor device number and ioctl range.

On Wednesday, 24 January 2024 06:32:13 CST Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 09:43:09PM -0600, Elizabeth Figura wrote:
> > > Why do you need a fixed minor number?  Can't your userspace handle
> > > dynamic numbers?  What systems require a static value?
> > 
> > I believe I added this because it's necessary for MODULE_ALIAS (and, more 
> > broadly, because I was following the example of vaguely comparable devices 
> > like /dev/loop-control). I suppose I could instead just remove MODULE_ALIAS 
> > (or even remove the ability to compile ntsync as a module entirely).
> 
> Do you really need MODULE_ALIAS()?  Having it for char devices to be
> auto-loaded is not generally considered a good idea anymore as systems
> should have the module loaded before userspace goes and asks for it.
> 
> It also reduces suprises when any random userspace program can cause
> kernel modules to be loaded for no real reason.

I think there's no reason we can't make loading the system's problem. I'll remove it in v2.