Re: [PATCH v8 3/4] gpio: rpmsg: add generic rpmsg GPIO driver

[Shenwei Wang]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Lunn <andrew@xxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2026 11:45 AM
> To: Shenwei Wang <shenwei.wang@xxxxxxx>
> Cc: Arnaud POULIQUEN <arnaud.pouliquen@xxxxxxxxxxx>; Linus Walleij
> <linusw@xxxxxxxxxx>; Bartosz Golaszewski <brgl@xxxxxxxxxx>; Jonathan Corbet
> <corbet@xxxxxxx>; Rob Herring <robh@xxxxxxxxxx>; Krzysztof Kozlowski
> <krzk+dt@xxxxxxxxxx>; Conor Dooley <conor+dt@xxxxxxxxxx>; Bjorn Andersson
> <andersson@xxxxxxxxxx>; Mathieu Poirier <mathieu.poirier@xxxxxxxxxx>; Frank Li
> <frank.li@xxxxxxx>; Sascha Hauer <s.hauer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Shuah Khan
> <skhan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; linux-gpio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; linux-
> doc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Pengutronix Kernel Team
> <kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Fabio Estevam <festevam@xxxxxxxxx>; Peng Fan
> <peng.fan@xxxxxxx>; devicetree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; linux-
> remoteproc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; imx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; linux-arm-
> kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; dl-linux-imx <linux-imx@xxxxxxx>; Bartosz
> Golaszewski <brgl@xxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [EXT] Re: [PATCH v8 3/4] gpio: rpmsg: add generic rpmsg GPIO driver
> > If there are concerns about specific design elements within the
> > driver, I’m happy to address those, but redesigning the hardware/firmware
> interface is not something this series can solve.
> 
> Then i think you are limited to using the out of tree driver.
> 

Thanks for the feedback.

To clarify: is Linux moving toward supporting only fully open hardware platforms? I’m 
not aware of any rule that prevents a company from upstreaming a driver that implements 
support for an existing hardware/firmware interface.

Given that, I’d like to hear from the GPIO subsystem maintainers — @Linus Walleij and 
@Bartosz Golaszewski — on whether a driver that works with the current hardware/firmware 
design could still be acceptable for upstream inclusion. My understanding is that upstream 
generally supports existing, real-world hardware as long as the driver meets subsystem standards.

Regards,
Shenwei

> Sorry.
> 
>         Andrew