lkml.org 
[lkml]   [2014]   [Jan]   [15]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [wrap][no wrap]   [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
/
Date
From
SubjectRe: [PATCH 2/2] x86: intel-mid: sfi_handle_*_dev() should check for pdata error code
On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 07:58:37AM +0100, Ingo Molnar wrote:
>
> * David Cohen <david.a.cohen@linux.intel.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi Ingo,
> >
> > On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 09:49:53AM +0100, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> > >
> > > * David Cohen <david.a.cohen@linux.intel.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Prevent sfi_handle_*_dev() to register device in case
> > > > intel_mid_sfi_get_pdata() failed to execute.
> > > >
> > > > Since 'NULL' is a valid return value, this patch makes
> > > > sfi_handle_*_dev() functions to use IS_ERR() to validate returned pdata.
> > >
> > > Is this bug triggering in practice? If not then please say so in the
> > > changelog. If yes then is this patch desired for v3.13 merging and
> > > also please fix the changelog to conform to the standard changelog
> > > style:
> > >
> > > - first describe the symptoms of the bug - how does a user notice?
> > >
> > > - then describe how the code behaves today and how that is causing
> > > the bug
> > >
> > > - and then only describe how it's fixed.
> > >
> > > The first item is the most important one - while developers
> > > (naturally) tend to concentrate on the least important point, the last
> > > one.
> >
> > Thanks for the feedback :)
> > This new patch set was done in reply to your comment:
> > https://lkml.org/lkml/2013/12/20/517
>
> Hm, in what way does the new changelog address my first request:
>
> > > - first describe the symptoms of the bug - how does a user notice?
>
> They are all phrased as bug fixes, yet _none_ of the three changelogs
> appears to describe specific symptoms on specific systems - they all
> seem to talk in the abstract, with no specific connection to reality.
>
> That really makes it harder for patches to get into the (way too
> narrow) attention span of maintainersm, while phrasing it like this:
>
> 'If an Intel-MID system boots in a specific SFI environment then it
> will hang on bootup without this fix.'
>
> or:
>
> 'Existing Intel-MID hardware will run faster with this patch.'
>
> will certainly wake up maintainers like a good coffee in the morning.
>
> If a patch is a cleanup with no known bug fix effects then say so in
> the title and the changelog.

Fair enough.
These patches are fixing a potential bug that exists in current kernel,
but I triggered with patches in my development tree that depends on
this one to be refactored first:
https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/3109791/

I tried to describe the potential bug, but it lacks the real use case as
you pointed out. I'll resend the patches in a way to trigger and
describe the situation without dependiing on non-upstreamed patches yet.
And I'll hurry up to publish my intel mid devel tree as well.

I hope the new patch set tastes like good morning Brazilian coffee :)

Br, David Cohen

>
> Thanks,
>
> Ingo


\
 
 \ /
  Last update: 2014-01-15 19:01    [W:0.104 / U:0.392 seconds]
©2003-2020 Jasper Spaans|hosted at Digital Ocean and TransIP|Read the blog|Advertise on this site