Re: [PATCH v2 0/5] firmware: add SmPL grammar to avoid issues

[Luis R. Rodriguez]

On Wed, Aug 03, 2016 at 09:32:41PM +0200, Greg KH wrote:
> On Wed, Aug 03, 2016 at 07:06:07PM +0200, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> > On Wed, Aug 03, 2016 at 05:04:39PM +0200, Greg KH wrote:
> > > On Wed, Aug 03, 2016 at 04:50:14PM +0200, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> > > > On Thu, Jul 28, 2016 at 02:41:48AM +0200, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> > > > > On Wed, Jul 13, 2016 at 11:47:52PM +0200, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> > > > > > On Thu, Jul 07, 2016 at 02:56:44AM +0200, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> > > > > > > On Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 03:54:16PM -0700, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> > > > > > > > The firmware API has had some issues a while ago, some of this is
> > > > > > > > not well documented, and its still hard to grasp. This documents
> > > > > > > > some of these issues, adds SmPL grammar rules to enable us to hunt
> > > > > > > > for issues, and annotations to help us with our effort to finally
> > > > > > > > compartamentalize that pesky usermode helper.
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > Previously this was just one patch, the grammar rule to help
> > > > > > > > find request firmware API users on init or probe, this series
> > > > > > > > extends that effort with usermode helper grammar rules, and some
> > > > > > > > annotations and documentation on the firmware_class driver to
> > > > > > > > avoid further issues. Documenting the usermode helper and making
> > > > > > > > it clear why we cannot remove it is important for analysis for
> > > > > > > > the next series which adds the new flexible sysdata firmware API.
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > This series depends on the coccicheck series which enables
> > > > > > > > annotations on coccinelle patches to require a specific
> > > > > > > > version of coccinelle [0], as such coordination with Michal is
> > > > > > > > in order.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Michal is out until July 11, and upon further thought such coordination
> > > > > > > is not need, the annotation is in place as comments and as such
> > > > > > > merging this now won't have any negative effects other than the version
> > > > > > > check. Also the patches in question for the coccicheck change are all
> > > > > > > acked now and I expect them to be merged anyway.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Which tree should firmware changes go through ?
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > This series is also further extended next with the new sydata
> > > > > > > > API, the full set of changes is available on my linux-next tree [1].
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > Perhaps now a good time to discuss -- if 0-day should enable the rule
> > > > > > > > scripts/coccinelle/api/request_firmware-usermode.cocci to be called on
> > > > > > > > every 0-day iteration, it runs rather fast and it should help police
> > > > > > > > against avoiding futher explicit users of the usermode helper.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > And if we are going to merge this anyone oppose enabling hunting
> > > > > > > for further explicit users of the usermode helper using grammar through
> > > > > > > 0-day ?
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > *Poke*
> > > > > 
> > > > > *Re-poke*
> > > > 
> > > > Re-re-poke.
> > > > 
> > > > The scripts/coccicheck changes are now merged on Linus' tree, so these patches
> > > > have no other pending changes upstream.
> > > > 
> > > > Who's tree can this go through or is this too late now?
> > > 
> > > It's way too late for 4.8-rc1, it will have to go into a maintainer tree
> > > after 4.8-rc1 is out.
> > 
> > OK thanks, what maintainer tree should this go through ? firmware_class changes
> > seem to sporadically go through different maintainers, and often some changes
> > go in without much review. Not sure if this is helping.
> 
> I usually take them, after they are acked by the firmware maintainer.  I
> haven't looked to see if this series is, if it is, I can easily take
> them.

That's the thing Ming is busy it seems so this series nor the changes that
actually went through Andrew were ACKed (and I actually NACK'd the changes that
eventually did go through Andrew after I saw them appear on linux-next), so I'm
adding myself to the MAINTAINERS list to help with this.

> But again, I can't do anything until after 4.8-rc1 is out, and then I
> get to start working through my huge backlog due to a vacation and
> conference travel I did last month.

Understood. Will post once 4.8-rc1 is out.

  Luis