[PATCH] Documentation: ioctl-number: Update outdated submission info

From: Bagas Sanjaya
Date: Fri May 02 2025 - 03:48:51 EST


Much like device numbers that used to be assigned by LANANA (see commit
ebdf4040c16df5 ("Documentation: update the devices.txt documentation"),
ioctl numbers list is maintained by general kernel community nowadays
instead of contacting Michael directly as he's long stepped down from
kernel-related activity (his last LKML message was from 2003 [1] and
he's in CREDITS since the beginning of kernel's git history). Also,
patch (including one to update ioctl numbers list) submission now
follows process as described in
Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst rather than sending
patches directly to Linus as in the distant past.

Update the docs to reflect that.

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/200305261446.h4QEkBVv023861@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/ [1]
Signed-off-by: Bagas Sanjaya <bagasdotme@xxxxxxxxx>
---
Cc: Lee Jones <lee@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Lukas Bulwahn <lukas.bulwahn@xxxxxxxxx>

Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst | 8 ++++----
1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst b/Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst
index 7a1409ecc238eb..83e5d2abdad694 100644
--- a/Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst
+++ b/Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ or number from the table below. Because of the large number of drivers,
many drivers share a partial letter with other drivers.

If you are writing a driver for a new device and need a letter, pick an
-unused block with enough room for expansion: 32 to 256 ioctl commands.
-You can register the block by patching this file and submitting the
-patch to Linus Torvalds. Or you can e-mail me at <mec@xxxxxxxxx> and
-I'll register one for you.
+unused block with enough room for expansion: 32 to 256 ioctl commands
+should suffice. You can register the block by patching this file and
+submitting the patch through :doc:`usual patch submission process
+</process/submitting-patches>`.

The second argument to _IO, _IOW, _IOR, or _IOWR is a sequence number
to distinguish ioctls from each other. The third argument to _IOW,

base-commit: c0fe189b590c754f69e0cb87c5b5674cad535cf6
--
An old man doll... just what I always wanted! - Clara