Re: [PATCH v2] Documentation: gpio: update the preferred method for using software node lookup

[Linus Walleij]

On Fri, Apr 3, 2026 at 3:05 PM Bartosz Golaszewski
<bartosz.golaszewski@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> In its current version, the manual for converting of board files from
> using GPIO lookup tables to software nodes recommends leaving the
> software nodes representing GPIO controllers as "free-floating", not
> attached objects and relying on the matching of their names against the
> GPIO controller's name. This is an abuse of the software node API and
> makes it impossible to create fw_devlinks between GPIO suppliers and
> consumers in this case. We want to remove this behavior from GPIOLIB and
> to this end, work on converting all existing drivers to using "attached"
> software nodes.
>
> Except for a few corner-cases where board files define consumers
> depending on GPIO controllers described in firmware - where we need to
> reference a real firmware node from a software node - which requires a
> more complex approach, most board files can easily be converted to using
> propert firmware node lookup.
>
> Update the documentation to recommend attaching the GPIO chip's software
> nodes to the actual platform devices and show how to do it.
>
> Signed-off-by: Bartosz Golaszewski <bartosz.golaszewski@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

OK this is clearly making the kernel a better place, and I expect
the AI coding agents to pick up on it and help everyone do the right
thing soon enough as well:
Reviewed-by: Linus Walleij <linusw@xxxxxxxxxx>

Yours,
Linus Walleij