Re: [PATCH] watchdog: rn5t618: use proper module tables

[Andreas Kemnade <andreas@kemnade.info>]

Am Wed, 18 Sep 2024 15:43:40 -0700
schrieb Guenter Roeck <linux@roeck-us.net>:

> On 9/18/24 14:29, Andreas Kemnade wrote:
> > Avoid requiring MODULE_ALIASES by declaring proper device id tables.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Andreas Kemnade <andreas@kemnade.info>  
> 
> This needs a better rationale. There are more than 40 watchdog drivers
> using MODULE_ALIAS. I would hate having to deal with 40+ patches just
> for cosmetic reasons, not counting the thousands of instances of
> MODULE_ALIAS in the kernel, including the more than 1,000 instances of
> "MODULE_ALIAS.*platform:".
>
basically reviewers were arguing against patches from me bringing in
MODULE_ALIASES. So I decided to clean up a bit in my backyard. Not
sure whether such things could by done by coccinelle but at least
it could be tested via output of modinfo.

This is one example for such a patch:
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-clk/119f56c8-5f38-eb48-7157-6033932f0430@linaro.org/

Citing Krzysztof:

> > Is there a general consensus that MODULE_ALIAS("platform:.*") should
> > be exorcised? Of course for this new driver I will avoid it now
> > anyways.

> Whether "general" I don't know, but I was removing it quite a lot in
>the
> past. I think I removed all at some point, now I guess we have them
> back :/.

> MODULE_ALIAS is not the correct way to solve module matching problem.
>ID
> table with the correct way. Alias is just a workaround which now
> works,
> but later might stop (e.g. ID table will come with additional
>features).

Regards,
Andreas