[PATCH] ALSA: core: propagate actual error code from register_chrdev

[PATCH] ALSA: core: propagate actual error code from register_chrdev

[phucduc.bui]

From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

The alsa_sound_init() function currently returns a hardcoded -EIO
if register_chrdev() fails, masking specific error codes from
__register_chrdev() such as -EINVAL, -ENOMEM, or -EBUSY.

Masking these failures under a generic -EIO makes system-level
diagnostics unnecessarily difficult. Propagating explicit error codes
from register_chrdev() is also an established convention widely
practiced across other subsystems.

Fix this by capturing and propagating the dynamic error code from
register_chrdev(). While at it, also assign the return value of
snd_info_init() to the 'err' variable instead of hardcoding -ENOMEM
to ensure consistency and future-proofing.

Signed-off-by: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
---
 sound/core/sound.c | 14 ++++++++++----
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/sound/core/sound.c b/sound/core/sound.c
index 8d05fe0d263b..3e1969a52b21 100644
--- a/sound/core/sound.c
+++ b/sound/core/sound.c
@@ -395,15 +395,21 @@ int __init snd_minor_info_init(void)
 
 static int __init alsa_sound_init(void)
 {
+	int err;
+
 	snd_major = major;
 	snd_ecards_limit = cards_limit;
-	if (register_chrdev(major, "alsa", &snd_fops)) {
+
+	err = register_chrdev(major, "alsa", &snd_fops);
+	if (err < 0) {
 		pr_err("ALSA core: unable to register native major device number %d\n", major);
-		return -EIO;
+		return err;
 	}
-	if (snd_info_init() < 0) {
+
+	err = snd_info_init();
+	if (err < 0) {
 		unregister_chrdev(major, "alsa");
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return err;
 	}
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SND_DEBUG
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH] ALSA: core: propagate actual error code from register_chrdev

[Takashi Iwai]

On Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:38:40 +0200,
phucduc.bui@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
> 
> The alsa_sound_init() function currently returns a hardcoded -EIO
> if register_chrdev() fails, masking specific error codes from
> __register_chrdev() such as -EINVAL, -ENOMEM, or -EBUSY.
> 
> Masking these failures under a generic -EIO makes system-level
> diagnostics unnecessarily difficult. Propagating explicit error codes
> from register_chrdev() is also an established convention widely
> practiced across other subsystems.
> 
> Fix this by capturing and propagating the dynamic error code from
> register_chrdev(). While at it, also assign the return value of
> snd_info_init() to the 'err' variable instead of hardcoding -ENOMEM
> to ensure consistency and future-proofing.
> 
> Signed-off-by: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

Applied to for-next branch now.  Thanks.


Takashi