Re: [PATCH 3/3] mpc52xx/wdt: WDT uses GPT api

On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 1:48 PM, Wim Van Sebroeck [off-list ref] wrote:

Hi Grant,

Sorry for the delay, I need to deliver a project in a weeks time...

understood.

quoted

In actual fact, it is a single device with multiple functions, some of
which can be used at the same time. =A0The driver for the device
determines what the device instance supports and registers the
appropriate interfaces. =A0There is a GPIO controller, a PWM controller,
a general purpose timer, and the watchdog. =A0Because of the
multifunction nature of the device, there are subtle interactions
between the functions that the driver needs to maintain. =A0I don't want
to export functions from the driver which will only be used by a
watchdog instance. =A0I also don't want the added code and complexity of
a secondary probe path. =A0It is simpler and less code to roll all the
behaviour up into the one driver single driver that gets probed once.

quoted

From the maintenance perspective, having the main driver in

arch/powerpc and the watchdog bit in drivers/watchdog doesn't really
help much anyway because anything that changes the internal driver API
(between the core and watchdog bits) will require cross-maintainer
changes. =A0ie. do changes go through my tree because they touch
arch/powerpc, or do they go through yours because they touch
drivers/watchdog? =A0I'd much rather all the internal details be
contained within a single driver.

Your argument about maintenance is the same one as I have: If all watchdo=

g

driver pieces are under drivers/watchdog then it's easier for me to maint=

ain

them. (Definitely if we are doing clean-up work and API changes).

:-)

quoted

Besides, there is already precedence for very arch-specific drivers
living under arch/*/. =A0find ./arch -name *gpio*

But in this case: I know where to find them and I will keep a mental note
about this one. And yes indeed some very arch specific drivers can reside
under arch/*/* .

So please go ahead with pulling this one in a single driver.

Great, Thanks Wim.

g.

--=20
Grant Likely, B.Sc., P.Eng.
Secret Lab Technologies Ltd.