Re: [PATCH v8 3/6] software node: implement reference properties

[Lukasz Stelmach <l.stelmach@samsung.com>]

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It was <2020-11-09 pon 10:53>, when Dmitry Torokhov wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 09, 2020 at 07:18:37PM +0100, Lukasz Stelmach wrote:
>> It was <2020-11-09 pon 19:24>, when Andy Shevchenko wrote:
>> > On Mon, Nov 09, 2020 at 06:02:29PM +0100, Lukasz Stelmach wrote:
>> >> It was <2019-11-07 czw 20:22>, when Dmitry Torokhov wrote:
>> >> > It is possible to store references to software nodes in the same fashion as
>> >> > other static properties, so that users do not need to define separate
>> >> > structures:
>> >> >
>> >> > static const struct software_node gpio_bank_b_node = {
>> >> > 	.name = "B",
>> >> > };
>> >> >
>> >> > static const struct property_entry simone_key_enter_props[] = {
>> >> > 	PROPERTY_ENTRY_U32("linux,code", KEY_ENTER),
>> >> > 	PROPERTY_ENTRY_STRING("label", "enter"),
>> >> > 	PROPERTY_ENTRY_REF("gpios", &gpio_bank_b_node, 123, GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW),
>> >> > 	{ }
>> >> > };
>> >> >
>> >> > Signed-off-by: Dmitry Torokhov <dmitry.torokhov@gmail.com>
>> >> > ---
>> >> 
>> >> I am writing a piece that needs to provide a list of gpios to a
>> >> diriver. The above example looks like what I need.
>> >
>> > Nope.
>> >
>> > It mustn't be used for GPIOs or PWMs or whatever that either should come via
>> > lookup tables or corresponding firmware interface.
>> >
>> 
>> May I ask why? I've read commit descriptions for drivers/base/swnode.c
>> and the discussion on lkml and I understand software nodes as a way to
>> provide (synthesize) a description for a device that is missing a
>> description in the firmware. Another use case seems to be to replace (in
>> the long run) platform data. That is what I am trying to use it for.
>> 
>> I want my device to be configured with either DT or software_nodes
>> created at run time with configfs. My device is going to use GPIOs
>> described in the DT and it is going to be configured via configfs at run
>> time. I could use platform_data to pass structures from configfs but
>> software nodes would let me save some code in the device driver and use
>> the same paths for both static (DT) and dynamic (configfs)
>> configuration.
>> 
>> Probably I have missed something and I will be greatful, if you tell me
>> where I can find more information about software nodes. There are few
>> users in the kernel and it isn't obvious for me how to use software
>> nodes properly.
>
> Yeah, I disagree with Andy here. The lookup tables are a crutch that we
> have until GPIO and PWM a taught to support software nodes (I need to
> resurrect my patch series for GPIO, if you have time to test that would
> be awesome).

It will be great to help. I am not sure if I have means to test PWMs,
but I can do GPIOs.

-- 
Łukasz Stelmach
Samsung R&D Institute Poland
Samsung Electronics

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