Re: (EXT) Re: [PATCH] net: fec: defer probe if PHY on external MDIO bus is not available

[Andrew Lunn]

> I would love to do this, but driver-api/driver-model/driver.rst
> contains the following warning:
> 
>       -EPROBE_DEFER must not be returned if probe() has already created
>       child devices, even if those child devices are removed again
>       in a cleanup path. If -EPROBE_DEFER is returned after a child
>       device has been registered, it may result in an infinite loop of
>       .probe() calls to the same driver.
> 
> My understanding of this is that there is simply no way to return
> -EPROBE_DEFER after fec_enet_mii_init(pdev).

It might say that, but lots of network drivers actually do this. I've
not seen an endless loop.

    Andrew