Re: [RFC] ARM/ARM64 PCI_PROBE_ONLY platforms

[Lorenzo Pieralisi <lorenzo.pieralisi@arm.com>]

On Sat, Jan 30, 2016 at 07:30:27AM -0600, Bjorn Helgaas wrote:

[...]

> > Most non-UEFI firmwares I have seen on ARM rely on device specific
> > driver like synopsys etc. to do the device initialization and ask
> > kernel to do the enumeration.
> > 
> > ACPI systems on the other hand handle the resource assignment before
> > the OS starts.
> 
> My guess is that this is more of a tradition than anything actually
> required by the spec.

I share your opinion, and that tradition on ARM64 should be built
on top of existing DT based systems where the bootloader assigns
*NOTHING* in 90% of designs.

That's why I want to see resource claiming carried out by default
on ACPI on ARM64, this would foster the tradition :), hopefully.

> The bottom line is that Linux can't rely on much consistency across
> the universe of architectures and firmwares.  I think the only thing
> that really makes sense for us to do is:
> 
>   - Read whatever assignments the firmware may have made
>   - Keep them unchanged if they seem sensible

Here I take "sensible" as "it can be successfully claimed" - ie the resource
is allocated in a valid way, though it may not be optimal (eg bridge window
apertures).

>   - Reassign them if they aren't sensible

And we reassign whatever can't be successfully claimed.

Yes, it seems like the best approach and likely the only viable one.

Thanks,
Lorenzo