linux-kernel - [PATCH 5/5] docs: ABI: auxdisplay: document linedisp library sysfs attributes

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Message-ID: <20250901020033.60196-6-jefflessard3@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2025 22:00:29 -0400
From: Jean-François Lessard <jefflessard3@...il.com>
To: Andy Shevchenko <andy@...nel.org>,
	Geert Uytterhoeven <geert@...ux-m68k.org>
Cc: linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH 5/5] docs: ABI: auxdisplay: document linedisp library sysfs attributes

Add ABI documentation for sysfs attributes provided by the line-display
auxdisplay library module. These attributes enable text message display and
configuration on character-based auxdisplay devices.

Documents previously undocumented attributes:
- message, scroll_step_ms (introduced in v5.16)
- map_seg7, map_seg14 (introduced in v6.9)

Documents newly added attribute:
- num_chars (targeted for v6.18)

The line-display library is used by multiple auxdisplay drivers and
can expose these attributes either on linedisp.N child devices or
directly on parent auxdisplay devices.

Signed-off-by: Jean-François Lessard <jefflessard3@...il.com>
---
 .../ABI/testing/sysfs-auxdisplay-linedisp     | 90 +++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 90 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-auxdisplay-linedisp

diff --git a/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-auxdisplay-linedisp b/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-auxdisplay-linedisp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63c47f192
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-auxdisplay-linedisp
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+What:		/sys/.../message
+Date:		October 2021
+KernelVersion:	5.16
+Description:
+		Controls the text message displayed on character line displays.
+
+		Reading returns the current message with a trailing newline.
+		Writing updates the displayed message. Messages longer than the
+		display width will automatically scroll. Trailing newlines in
+		input are automatically trimmed.
+
+		Writing an empty string clears the display.
+
+		Example:
+		  echo "Hello World" > message
+		  cat message			# Returns "Hello World\n"
+
+What:		/sys/.../scroll_step_ms
+Date:		October 2021
+KernelVersion:	5.16
+Description:
+		Controls the scrolling speed for messages longer than the display
+		width, specified in milliseconds per scroll step.
+
+		Setting to 0 disables scrolling. Default is 500ms.
+
+		Example:
+		  echo "250" > scroll_step_ms	# 4Hz scrolling
+		  cat scroll_step_ms		# Returns "250\n"
+
+What:		/sys/.../num_chars
+Date:		November 2025
+KernelVersion:	6.18
+Contact:	Jean-François Lessard <jefflessard3@...il.com>
+Description:
+		Read-only attribute showing the character width capacity of
+		the line display device. Messages longer than this will scroll.
+
+		Example:
+		  cat num_chars		# Returns "16\n" for 16-char display
+
+What:		/sys/.../map_seg7
+Date:		January 2024
+KernelVersion:	6.9
+Description:
+		Read/write binary blob representing the ASCII-to-7-segment
+		display conversion table used by the linedisp driver, as defined
+		by struct seg7_conversion_map in <linux/map_to_7segment.h>.
+
+		Only visible on displays with 7-segment capability.
+
+		This attribute is not human-readable. Writes must match the
+		struct size exactly, else -EINVAL is returned; reads return the
+		entire mapping as a binary blob.
+
+		This interface and its implementation match existing conventions
+		used in segment-mapped display drivers since 2005.
+
+		ABI note: This style of binary sysfs attribute *is an exception*
+		to current "one value per file, text only" sysfs rules, for
+		historical compatibility and driver uniformity. New drivers are
+		discouraged from introducing additional binary sysfs ABIs.
+
+		Reference interface guidance:
+		- include/uapi/linux/map_to_7segment.h
+
+What:		/sys/.../map_seg14
+Date:		January 2024
+KernelVersion:	6.9
+Description:
+		Read/write binary blob representing the ASCII-to-14-segment
+		display conversion table used by the linedisp driver, as defined
+		by struct seg14_conversion_map in <linux/map_to_14segment.h>.
+
+		Only visible on displays with 14-segment capability.
+
+		This attribute is not human-readable. Writes must match the
+		struct size exactly, else -EINVAL is returned; reads return the
+		entire mapping as a binary blob.
+
+		This interface and its implementation match existing conventions
+		used by segment-mapped display drivers since 2005.
+
+		ABI note: This style of binary sysfs attribute *is an exception*
+		to current "one value per file, text only" sysfs rules, for
+		historical compatibility and driver uniformity. New drivers are
+		discouraged from introducing additional binary sysfs ABIs.
+
+		Reference interface guidance:
+		- include/uapi/linux/map_to_14segment.h
-- 
2.43.0