[PATCH 1/2] Add a common struct clk

Hi Richard,

quoted

quoted

+struct clk {
+	const struct clk_ops	*ops;
+	unsigned int		enable_count;
+	int			flags;
+	union {
+		struct mutex	mutex;
+		spinlock_t	spinlock;
+	} lock;
+};

Here you have a "polymorphic" lock, where the clock instance knows
which type it is supposed to be.  I got flak from David Miller and

others trying to do the same thing with the mdio_bus:
   http://kerneltrap.org/mailarchive/linux-netdev/2010/7/6/6280618

The criticism, applied to your case, is that the clk_enable() caller
cannot know whether it is safe to make the call or not. I was told,
"there has got to be a better way."

Note that this is not "new".  Currently there is no convention available
if clk_enable sleeps or not.  See e.g.
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ports.arm.kernel/100744

As Uwe says, the common clock does not change these semantics; I would prefer 
to keep the driver API changes at a minimum with these patches.

But yes, it would be a good idea to:

 * introduce clk_enable_atomic, which requires clk->flags & CLK_ATOMIC

 * add might_sleep to clk_enable(), encouraging clk uses in atomic contexts
   to switch to clk_enable_atomic.

We'd still be able to handle CLK_ATOMIC clocks in clk_enable(), so the 
enforcement only needs to be one-way.

However, I think these would be better as separate changes.

Cheers,


Jeremy