Re: [PATCH v8 00/15] Introduce support for Dell SMBIOS over WMI

[Darren Hart]

On Mon, Oct 16, 2017 at 01:48:05PM +0000, Mario.Limonciello@xxxxxxxx wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Pali Rohár [mailto:pali.rohar@xxxxxxxxx]
> > Sent: Monday, October 16, 2017 8:37 AM
> > To: Limonciello, Mario <Mario_Limonciello@xxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: dvhart@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; andy.shevchenko@xxxxxxxxx; linux-
> > kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; platform-driver-x86@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; luto@xxxxxxxxxx;
> > quasisec@xxxxxxxxxx; rjw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; mjg59@xxxxxxxxxx; hch@xxxxxx;
> > greg@xxxxxxxxx; gnomes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: [PATCH v8 00/15] Introduce support for Dell SMBIOS over WMI
> > 
> > On Monday 16 October 2017 13:23:04 Mario.Limonciello@xxxxxxxx wrote:
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Pali Rohár [mailto:pali.rohar@xxxxxxxxx]
> > > > Sent: Monday, October 16, 2017 2:33 AM
> > > > To: Limonciello, Mario <Mario_Limonciello@xxxxxxxx>
> > > > Cc: dvhart@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; Andy Shevchenko <andy.shevchenko@xxxxxxxxx>;
> > > > LKML <linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; platform-driver-x86@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
> > Andy
> > > > Lutomirski <luto@xxxxxxxxxx>; quasisec@xxxxxxxxxx; rjw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx;
> > > > mjg59@xxxxxxxxxx; hch@xxxxxx; Greg KH <greg@xxxxxxxxx>; Alan Cox
> > > > <gnomes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > Subject: Re: [PATCH v8 00/15] Introduce support for Dell SMBIOS over WMI
> > > >
> > > > Hi! Just a small idea, what about including example userspace
> > > > application which would use this new API? I think such application can
> > > > be useful for documentation purpose to see how this new API should be
> > > > used. And in review process other people can point if there would be
> > > > some problems with usage.
> > > >
> > > > I do not know if it is requirement or not for introducing new kernel
> > > > API, but still example code is very useful for developers when they
> > > > would start to use this new API and correctly.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Pali Rohár
> > > > pali.rohar@xxxxxxxxx
> > >
> > > Pali,
> > >
> > > I've produced a small sample application available here:
> > > https://github.com/superm1/smbios-wmi-poc
> > 
> > Simple one-file example application. Great!
> > 
> > Darren, Greg, Mario, I think it would be better to have this example
> > application in tools/ or in Documentation/... What do you think?
> > 
> > Looking for examples on random github repos is harder and less official
> > as part of linux source tree.
> > 
> 
> If others also agree, I'm fine with including it with the kernel.
> Please advise where it should be located.
> 
> It was originally a POC made just for my own testing of this API.  
> I will probably need to clean it up a little though for wider distribution 
> to the kernel so I would prefer to send it in a follow up patch if no other
> feedback requiring changes to this series as is.
> 
> One possible issue is that it currently uses glib.  Is that OK?

In my opinion, what is important is that there is an open-source
userspace consumer of the interface. I don't think it needs to be in the
kernel. If this was a more generic interface which could be tested on
any hardware, then I think a selftests target would be sensible. As it
is, this is a very specific use case, and a simple reference to the
smbios-wmi-poc project URL in documentation someplace (or even in the
dell-smbios driver comments) seems more than adequate to me.

-- 
Darren Hart
VMware Open Source Technology Center