Re: [PATCH v5 2/3] Documentation: ABI: document DEVICE_ENUMERATION_FAILURE uevent

From: Akshay Gujar

Date: Mon Jul 27 2026 - 09:53:08 EST


On Sat, Jul 25, 2026 at 07:21:30AM +0200, Greg KH wrote:
> > > > +What: DEVICE_ENUMERATION_FAILURE
> > > > +Date: July 2026
> > > > +KernelVersion: 7.3
> > > > +Description:
> > > > + Some devices may be detected but fail to enumerate
> > > > + due to protocol-level errors or invalid responses.
> > > > +
> > > > + A KOBJ_CHANGE uevent includes the following environment
> > > > + variable when this occurs:
> > > > +
> > > > + DEVICE_ENUMERATION_FAILURE=<dev_name>
> > > > +
> > > > + The value is the kernel device name of the device for
> > > > + which enumeration failed, as returned by dev_name().
> > > > +
> > > > + Example (USB):
> > > > +
> > > > + ACTION=change
> > > > + SUBSYSTEM=usb
> > > > + DEVTYPE=usb_interface
> > >
> > > This will be the port device, not the usb interface, right?
> >
> > No, DEVTYPE=usb_interface is correct, the example was captured on
> > real hardware. The uevent is not emitted from the port device itself.
> > usb_port devices have no bus or class, so dev_uevent_filter()
> > drops any event from them.It is emitted from the port's parent,
> > the hub's usb_interface device, while the failing port is identified in the payload instead.

> So shouldn't we fix the fact that usb_ports are not on the bus and add
> them to one? Would that make things more obvious here as to what port
> the issue is happening on, and potentially allow userspace to actually
> figure out which physical port the problem is?

Adding usb_port devices to usb_bus_type does not fit. usb_device_match()
only handles usb_device and usb_interface, so ports would fall through
unmatched, and bus-managed binding would conflict with the existing
usb_port_driver assignment.

Userspace can already resolve the physical port directly from the
event today:

DEVPATH=/devices/.../usb1/1-0:1.0
DEVICE_ENUMERATION_FAILURE=usb1-port1

which corresponds to:
-> /sys/devices/.../usb1/1-0:1.0/usb1-port1

Appending the payload name to DEVPATH gives the exact sysfs path to
the failing port on the hub.

I dropped the DEVPATH line from the documentation example by mistake.
Will restore it in v6 so the emitter/payload relationship is clear.

Thanks,
Akshay