Re: [PATCH v3 11/11] RFC: watchdog: export core symbols in WATCHDOG_CORE namespace

[Guenter Roeck <linux-0h96xk9xTtrk1uMJSBkQmQ@public.gmane.org>]

On Wed, Aug 21, 2019 at 12:49:26PM +0100, Matthias Maennich wrote:
> Modules using these symbols are required to explicitly import the
> namespace. This patch was generated with the following steps and serves
> as a reference to use the symbol namespace feature:
> 
>  1) Use EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS* macros instead of EXPORT_SYMBOL* for symbols
>     in watchdog_core.c
>  2) make  (see warnings during modpost about missing imports)
>  3) make nsdeps
> 
> I used 'allmodconfig' for the above steps to ensure all occurrences are
> patched.
> 
> Defining DEFAULT_SYMBOL_NAMESPACE in the Makefile is not trivial in this
> case as not only watchdog_core is defined in drivers/watchdog/Makefile.
> Hence this patch uses the variant of using the EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS* macros
> to export into a different namespace.
> 
I don't have the context, and thus I am missing the point of this patch
set. Whatever it is supposed to accomplish, it seems extreme to me
to require extra code in each driver for it.

Anyway, WATCHDOG_CORE would be the default namespace (if it is what
I think it is) for watchdog drivers, even though not all watchdog drivers
use it. As such, I am missing an explanation why defining it in Makefile
is not trivial. "... as not only watchdog_core is defined in
drivers/watchdog/Makefile" does not mean anything to me and is not a real
explanation. Also, it is not immediately obvious to me why "select
WATCHDOG_CORE" in Kconfig would not automatically imply that WATCHDOG_CORE
is used by a given driver, and why it is impossible to use that
information to avoid the per-driver changes.

I am also missing an explanation why WATCHDOG_CORE is going to be a
separate namespace to start with. Maybe that discussion has happened,
but I don't recall being advised or asked or told about it. Are we also
going to have a new HWMON_CORE namespace ? And the same for each other
subsystem in the kernel ?

Since this is being added to the watchdog API, it will have to be
documented accordingly. Watchdog driver writers, both inside and outside
the watchdog subsystem, will need to know that they now have to add an
additional boilerplate declaration into their drivers.

Last but not least, combining patches affecting multiple subsystems in a
single patch will make it difficult to apply and will likely result in
conflicts. Personally I would prefer a split into one patch per affected
subsystem. Also, please keep in mind that new pending watchdog drivers
won't have the new boilerplate.

Thanks,
Guenter