Thread (7 messages) 7 messages, 2 authors, 14h ago

[PATCH 5/5] docs: hwmon: Document the uhwmon userspace interface

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From: Jihong Min <hidden>
Date: 2026-10-09 15:39:30
Also in: linux-doc, linux-hwmon, lkml
Subsystem: documentation, hardware monitoring, the rest · Maintainers: Jonathan Corbet, Guenter Roeck, Linus Torvalds

Document the uhwmon UAPI for developers implementing userspace hwmon
drivers. Cover device registration, request handling, notifications
and device lifetime.

Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-6-astra
Signed-off-by: Jihong Min <redacted>
---
 Documentation/hwmon/index.rst  |   1 +
 Documentation/hwmon/uhwmon.rst | 141 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 142 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 Documentation/hwmon/uhwmon.rst
diff --git a/Documentation/hwmon/index.rst b/Documentation/hwmon/index.rst
index 9955a525436a..88c6388e7c5c 100644
--- a/Documentation/hwmon/index.rst
+++ b/Documentation/hwmon/index.rst
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Hardware Monitoring
    submitting-patches
    sysfs-interface
    userspace-tools
+   uhwmon
 
 Hardware Monitoring Kernel Drivers
 ==================================
diff --git a/Documentation/hwmon/uhwmon.rst b/Documentation/hwmon/uhwmon.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..155f1a965d16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/hwmon/uhwmon.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+
+Userspace hardware monitoring
+=============================
+
+Copyright (C) 2026 Jihong Min <hurryman2212@gmail.com>
+
+``uhwmon`` connects userspace drivers to ``hwmon_ops`` through the control
+device ``/dev/uhwmon``. The hwmon core creates and formats sysfs attributes.
+The daemon supplies values in the units defined by :doc:`sysfs-interface`.
+
+Enable ``CONFIG_HWMON`` and ``CONFIG_SENSORS_UHWMON`` and load ``uhwmon``.
+Include ``<linux/uhwmon.h>``.
+
+Register a device
+-----------------
+
+Open ``/dev/uhwmon`` with ``O_RDWR`` for each device. Zero-initialize all
+UAPI structures.
+
+Call ``UHWMON_CREATE`` with the NUL-terminated chip name, attribute array and
+its count in ``struct uhwmon_create``. Each ``struct uhwmon_attribute`` contains:
+
+* ``type``, ``attr``: hwmon enum IDs, not ``HWMON_*`` bitmasks.
+* ``channel``: zero-based index; zero for chip attributes.
+* ``mode``: nonzero permissions using only bits from 0644.
+* ``flags``: zero, or ``UHWMON_ATTR_CONSTANT`` for read-only constants.
+* ``value``: a constant number, otherwise zero.
+* ``text``: pointer to a constant label, otherwise zero.
+* ``size``: NUL-inclusive label capacity from 1 to ``PAGE_SIZE``; zero
+  for numbers.
+
+Labels are read-only, NUL-terminated and omit the trailing newline.
+
+Handle requests
+---------------
+
+Read a ``struct uhwmon_request`` and write a ``struct uhwmon_reply`` on the
+owning file. Request and reply headers are 24 bytes. Only successful label
+replies append ``size`` bytes of text. Buffers smaller than the message are
+rejected with ``EINVAL``.
+
+``struct uhwmon_request``:
+
+* ``id``: request identifier; copy it into the reply.
+* ``attr``: index in the registered attribute array.
+* ``op``: ``UHWMON_READ`` or ``UHWMON_WRITE``.
+* ``value``: number to apply for a write; zero for a read.
+
+``struct uhwmon_reply``:
+
+* ``id``: the request's identifier.
+* ``status``: zero on success or a negative errno; use ``-ENODATA`` for
+  unavailable or stale readings. Return ``-EINTR`` only before applying a write.
+* ``reserved``: zero.
+* ``value``: successful numeric read result; ignored otherwise.
+* ``text``: NUL-terminated result of a successful label read; absent otherwise.
+
+Numbers use signed 64-bit fields and must fit the kernel's ``long``,
+except for energy64 reads.
+Discard replies rejected with ``ESTALE`` (canceled request).
+
+This example registers ``temp1_input`` and ``temp1_enable`` and reports
+42000 millidegrees Celsius while enabled:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+	struct uhwmon_attribute attrs[] = {
+		{ .type = hwmon_temp, .attr = hwmon_temp_input, .mode = 0444 },
+		{ .type = hwmon_temp, .attr = hwmon_temp_enable, .mode = 0644 },
+	};
+	struct uhwmon_create create = {
+		.name = (uintptr_t)"example",
+		.attrs = (uintptr_t)attrs,
+		.num_attrs = 2,
+	};
+	struct uhwmon_request req;
+	struct uhwmon_reply reply = {};
+	int enabled = 1;
+
+	if (ioctl(fd, UHWMON_CREATE, &create) < 0)
+		return;
+
+	for (;;) {
+		if (read(fd, &req, sizeof(req)) < 0) {
+			if (errno == EINTR)
+				continue;
+			break;
+		}
+		reply.id = req.id;
+		reply.status = -EINVAL;
+		if (req.attr == 0 && req.op == UHWMON_READ) {
+			reply.value = 42000;
+			reply.status = enabled ? 0 : -ENODATA;
+		} else if (req.attr == 1 && req.op == UHWMON_READ) {
+			reply.value = enabled;
+			reply.status = 0;
+		} else if (req.attr == 1 && req.op == UHWMON_WRITE &&
+			   (req.value == 0 || req.value == 1)) {
+			enabled = req.value;
+			reply.status = 0;
+		}
+		if (write(fd, &reply, sizeof(reply)) < 0 && errno != ESTALE)
+			break; // Fatal error.
+	}
+
+Disconnect and reconnect
+------------------------
+
+Sysfs requests can be interrupted or restarted before delivery to the daemon.
+After delivery, they wait for a reply or disconnection; only fatal signals
+can interrupt this wait. Completed replies take precedence over signals.
+
+Releasing the last control file reference disconnects the daemon: dynamic
+reads return ``ENODATA``, writes return ``ENODEV``, and constants remain readable.
+Closing an fd does not cancel I/O in another thread; duplicated fds retain
+ownership. Interrupt blocked control reads or use ``UHWMON_DESTROY``.
+
+The device persists after disconnection. To reconnect, open a new control fd
+and register the same name and attribute array, including constant values.
+
+``UHWMON_DESTROY`` removes the device. Close and reopen the control file
+before registering another device.
+
+Notify changes
+--------------
+
+The kernel cannot detect changes to values held by the daemon. After changing
+a value, call ``UHWMON_NOTIFY`` with its 32-bit attribute index. This wakes
+sysfs pollers waiting for ``POLLPRI`` and sends a ``KOBJ_CHANGE`` uevent with
+``NAME=<attribute>``. Applications read the attribute again from offset 0 to
+get the new value. The notification carries no value and does not replace a
+read reply.
+
+For example, after changing ``enabled``, notify listeners of ``temp1_enable``:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+	__u32 index = 1; /* attrs[1]: temp1_enable */
+	if (ioctl(fd, UHWMON_NOTIFY, &index) < 0)
+		return;
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