Re: [PATCH v2 6/9] dt-bindings: nvme: apple,nvme-ans: Add Apple A11

[Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzk@kernel.org>]

On 27/08/2025 14:25, Janne Grunau wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 21, 2025 at 03:09:42PM +0200, Krzysztof Kozlowski wrote:
>> On 21/08/2025 12:25, Sven Peter wrote:
>>>
>>> 1) For situations like this one where the generic one just doesn't make 
>>> any sense we deprecate "apple,nvme-ans2" in the binding and use
>>> "apple,t8103-nvme-ans2" as the fallback instead, i.e. just
>>> "apple,t8103-nvme-ans2" for M1, "apple,t6000-nvme-ans2", 
>>> "apple,t8103-nvme-ans2" for M1 Pro, and just "apple,t8015-nvme-ans2" for 
>>> A11.
>>>
>>> We keep the generic one in the driver for now but also add
>>> "apple,t8103-nvme-ans2". We then remove the generic one from all 
>>> upstream DTS files but keep it inside the downstream files we ship to 
>>> users for now to avoid pain with kernel upgrades/downgrades.
>>> A year or two from now we can then delete the deprecated generic 
>>> compatibles everywhere. This all has to be synced with OpenBSD and 
>>> u-boot as well since both also use these bindings.
>>> It's gonna be rather painful but this would clean up the entire mess.
>>>
>>>
>>> 2) We keep using the ones that are already upstream and just accept that 
>>> the situation is a mess and add comment above all the bindings that we 
>>> messed up and that this should not be used as pattern.
>>> In this case that means it'll just be "apple,t8015-nvme-ans2" for A11 
>>> without any fallback and we keep everything else the way it is.
>>>
>>> I prefer option (2) but if you really want to get rid of all this mess 
>>
>>
>> I also prefer option (2). That's the least disruptive option for users
>> and inconsistency in bindings naming is just inconsistency, no big deal.
>> You just need to remember not to grow the old items/pattern with generic
>> compatible.
> 
> This sounds to me like a mix of option 1) and 2).
> 
> All devices / SoCs already upstream will use the fixed current
> compatibles and thus are following option 2)
> 
> New SoCs will have to use
>     compatible = "apple,t6020-nvme-ans2", "apple,t8103-nvme-ans2";
> using t6020 as example even though they will be using the same driver
> code as "apple,nvme-ans2". Using t6020 as an example I planned to submit
> today.
> This will require adding the new fallback "apple,t8103-nvme-ans2"
> compatible string to the driver.
> 
> Asking for clarification as I could image such driver changes will raise
> questions from the driver maintainers.


I don't think they will question it. :) Just mention briefly in commit
msg of the binding reasons why style is different.


> 
> Is there a way do document/annotate the generic compatibles as
> deprecated / "do not use" for new devices?

You can deprecate existing compatibles ("deprecated: true"), but I think
that's not what is going to happen here and there is no specific syntax
to annotate that "do not grow this list, that's old style of doing things".

You can always add a comment like this. See also:
Documentation/devicetree/bindings/iommu/arm,smmu.yaml

(but this uses both comment and deprecated)

> 
> Thanks
> Janne


Best regards,
Krzysztof