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diff --git a/Documentation/watchdog/convert_drivers_to_kernel_api.rst b/Documentation/watchdog/convert_drivers_to_kernel_api.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..a1c3f038c --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/watchdog/convert_drivers_to_kernel_api.rst @@ -0,0 +1,219 @@ +========================================================= +Converting old watchdog drivers to the watchdog framework +========================================================= + +by Wolfram Sang <wsa@kernel.org> + +Before the watchdog framework came into the kernel, every driver had to +implement the API on its own. Now, as the framework factored out the common +components, those drivers can be lightened making it a user of the framework. +This document shall guide you for this task. The necessary steps are described +as well as things to look out for. + + +Remove the file_operations struct +--------------------------------- + +Old drivers define their own file_operations for actions like open(), write(), +etc... These are now handled by the framework and just call the driver when +needed. So, in general, the 'file_operations' struct and assorted functions can +go. Only very few driver-specific details have to be moved to other functions. +Here is a overview of the functions and probably needed actions: + +- open: Everything dealing with resource management (file-open checks, magic + close preparations) can simply go. Device specific stuff needs to go to the + driver specific start-function. Note that for some drivers, the start-function + also serves as the ping-function. If that is the case and you need start/stop + to be balanced (clocks!), you are better off refactoring a separate start-function. + +- close: Same hints as for open apply. + +- write: Can simply go, all defined behaviour is taken care of by the framework, + i.e. ping on write and magic char ('V') handling. + +- ioctl: While the driver is allowed to have extensions to the IOCTL interface, + the most common ones are handled by the framework, supported by some assistance + from the driver: + + WDIOC_GETSUPPORT: + Returns the mandatory watchdog_info struct from the driver + + WDIOC_GETSTATUS: + Needs the status-callback defined, otherwise returns 0 + + WDIOC_GETBOOTSTATUS: + Needs the bootstatus member properly set. Make sure it is 0 if you + don't have further support! + + WDIOC_SETOPTIONS: + No preparations needed + + WDIOC_KEEPALIVE: + If wanted, options in watchdog_info need to have WDIOF_KEEPALIVEPING + set + + WDIOC_SETTIMEOUT: + Options in watchdog_info need to have WDIOF_SETTIMEOUT set + and a set_timeout-callback has to be defined. The core will also + do limit-checking, if min_timeout and max_timeout in the watchdog + device are set. All is optional. + + WDIOC_GETTIMEOUT: + No preparations needed + + WDIOC_GETTIMELEFT: + It needs get_timeleft() callback to be defined. Otherwise it + will return EOPNOTSUPP + + Other IOCTLs can be served using the ioctl-callback. Note that this is mainly + intended for porting old drivers; new drivers should not invent private IOCTLs. + Private IOCTLs are processed first. When the callback returns with + -ENOIOCTLCMD, the IOCTLs of the framework will be tried, too. Any other error + is directly given to the user. + +Example conversion:: + + -static const struct file_operations s3c2410wdt_fops = { + - .owner = THIS_MODULE, + - .llseek = no_llseek, + - .write = s3c2410wdt_write, + - .unlocked_ioctl = s3c2410wdt_ioctl, + - .open = s3c2410wdt_open, + - .release = s3c2410wdt_release, + -}; + +Check the functions for device-specific stuff and keep it for later +refactoring. The rest can go. + + +Remove the miscdevice +--------------------- + +Since the file_operations are gone now, you can also remove the 'struct +miscdevice'. The framework will create it on watchdog_dev_register() called by +watchdog_register_device():: + + -static struct miscdevice s3c2410wdt_miscdev = { + - .minor = WATCHDOG_MINOR, + - .name = "watchdog", + - .fops = &s3c2410wdt_fops, + -}; + + +Remove obsolete includes and defines +------------------------------------ + +Because of the simplifications, a few defines are probably unused now. Remove +them. Includes can be removed, too. For example:: + + - #include <linux/fs.h> + - #include <linux/miscdevice.h> (if MODULE_ALIAS_MISCDEV is not used) + - #include <linux/uaccess.h> (if no custom IOCTLs are used) + + +Add the watchdog operations +--------------------------- + +All possible callbacks are defined in 'struct watchdog_ops'. You can find it +explained in 'watchdog-kernel-api.txt' in this directory. start() and +owner must be set, the rest are optional. You will easily find corresponding +functions in the old driver. Note that you will now get a pointer to the +watchdog_device as a parameter to these functions, so you probably have to +change the function header. Other changes are most likely not needed, because +here simply happens the direct hardware access. If you have device-specific +code left from the above steps, it should be refactored into these callbacks. + +Here is a simple example:: + + +static struct watchdog_ops s3c2410wdt_ops = { + + .owner = THIS_MODULE, + + .start = s3c2410wdt_start, + + .stop = s3c2410wdt_stop, + + .ping = s3c2410wdt_keepalive, + + .set_timeout = s3c2410wdt_set_heartbeat, + +}; + +A typical function-header change looks like:: + + -static void s3c2410wdt_keepalive(void) + +static int s3c2410wdt_keepalive(struct watchdog_device *wdd) + { + ... + + + + return 0; + } + + ... + + - s3c2410wdt_keepalive(); + + s3c2410wdt_keepalive(&s3c2410_wdd); + + +Add the watchdog device +----------------------- + +Now we need to create a 'struct watchdog_device' and populate it with the +necessary information for the framework. The struct is also explained in detail +in 'watchdog-kernel-api.txt' in this directory. We pass it the mandatory +watchdog_info struct and the newly created watchdog_ops. Often, old drivers +have their own record-keeping for things like bootstatus and timeout using +static variables. Those have to be converted to use the members in +watchdog_device. Note that the timeout values are unsigned int. Some drivers +use signed int, so this has to be converted, too. + +Here is a simple example for a watchdog device:: + + +static struct watchdog_device s3c2410_wdd = { + + .info = &s3c2410_wdt_ident, + + .ops = &s3c2410wdt_ops, + +}; + + +Handle the 'nowayout' feature +----------------------------- + +A few drivers use nowayout statically, i.e. there is no module parameter for it +and only CONFIG_WATCHDOG_NOWAYOUT determines if the feature is going to be +used. This needs to be converted by initializing the status variable of the +watchdog_device like this:: + + .status = WATCHDOG_NOWAYOUT_INIT_STATUS, + +Most drivers, however, also allow runtime configuration of nowayout, usually +by adding a module parameter. The conversion for this would be something like:: + + watchdog_set_nowayout(&s3c2410_wdd, nowayout); + +The module parameter itself needs to stay, everything else related to nowayout +can go, though. This will likely be some code in open(), close() or write(). + + +Register the watchdog device +---------------------------- + +Replace misc_register(&miscdev) with watchdog_register_device(&watchdog_dev). +Make sure the return value gets checked and the error message, if present, +still fits. Also convert the unregister case:: + + - ret = misc_register(&s3c2410wdt_miscdev); + + ret = watchdog_register_device(&s3c2410_wdd); + + ... + + - misc_deregister(&s3c2410wdt_miscdev); + + watchdog_unregister_device(&s3c2410_wdd); + + +Update the Kconfig-entry +------------------------ + +The entry for the driver now needs to select WATCHDOG_CORE: + + + select WATCHDOG_CORE + + +Create a patch and send it to upstream +-------------------------------------- + +Make sure you understood Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst and send your patch to +linux-watchdog@vger.kernel.org. We are looking forward to it :) |