Re: [PATCH-RFC] 4 of 4 - New problem logging macros, SCSI RAID device driver

Jeff Garzik
2002-09-24T02:17:33Z

Larry Kessler wrote:
> Please see [PATCH-RFC] README 1st note.
>
> Also note that this patch includes pci_problem.h, as does the eepro100.c
> device driver patch included in the 'README 1st' note.
>
> Summary of this patch...
>
> drivers/scsi/ips.c
> Device Driver for the IBM ServeRAID controller, with use of new
> macros replacing prink() for error conditions.
>
> include/linux/scsi_problem.h
> - scsi_host_detail() macro providing common information of interest
> for scsi-class devices.
> - scsi_host_problem and scsi_host_introduce macros
>
> include/linux/pci_problem.h
>
> - pci_detail() macro providing common information on a per class
> basis when problems are being reported for devices of that class.
> - pci_problem and pci_introduce macros

Bloat, bloat, and more bloat. This API is not scalable at all, if we
have to add a new header and new foo_problem() macros for every little
subsystem in the kernel.

If you actually want to standardize some diagnostic messages, it is a
huge mistake [as your scsi driver example shows] to continue to use
random text strings followed by a typed attribute list. If you really
wanted to standardize logging, why continue to allow driver authors to
printk driver-specific text strings in lieu of a standard string that
applies to the same situation in N drivers.

I do encourage the clean-up of drivers logging and can see the utility
of it, but you are really using a sledgehammer to drive in a carpet nail
here...

Jeff