Re: [PATCH 6/7] crypto: ccp: no need to check return value of debugfs_create functions

Greg Kroah-Hartman
2019-01-23T06:56:02Z

On Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 10:06:54PM +0000, Gary R Hook wrote:
> On 1/22/19 9:14 AM, Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote:
> > When calling debugfs functions, there is no need to ever check the
> > return value. The function can work or not, but the code logic should
> > never do something different based on this.
>
> Stupid question(s) time.
>
> If we don't care about failures (because the subsystem handles them
> without our involvement) why do these functions even have return values?
> Why haven't they been changed to void so that they reflect the current
> style of intended use?

Because on "normal" operations, you use the return value for something
(i.e. a parent directory to pass to other functions, or a value so you
can remove the file later).

> I realize I'm old fashioned, but if a failure occurs, I've always been
> of a mind to kick out and not try to do any further work. But debugfs is
> to be treated as an exception to that paradigm? Carry on, ignore errors,
> don't worry about it?

Yes, that is the case here, it goes against what everyone normally
thinks about kernel development :)

thanks,

greg k-h