Re: [PATCH v7 00/10] rust: add `register!` macro

[Alexandre Courbot]

On Wed Feb 25, 2026 at 8:58 PM JST, Dirk Behme wrote:
> On 24.02.2026 15:21, Alexandre Courbot wrote:
>> New revision addressing the v6 feedback - the use of "location" instead
>> of "reference" in particular reads well both in the code and the
>> comments.
>> 
>> As a reminder, since the previous revision we use the I/O type to
>> perform the actual I/O instead of the register type, which moves us from
>> this access pattern:
>> 
>>      let boot0 = regs::NV_PMC_BOOT_0::read(bar);
>> 
>> to this arguably more natural one:
>> 
>>      let boot0 = bar.read(regs::NV_PMC_BOOT_0);
>> 
>> This revision is based on `driver-core-testing` as of 2026-02-24 with
>> [1] applied. A tree with this series and its dependencies is available
>> at [2].
>> 
>> [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260206-io-v2-0-71dea20a06e6@xxxxxxxxxx/
>> [2] https://github.com/Gnurou/linux/tree/b4/register
>> 
>> The first patch enables the `generic_arg_infer` feature, which is
>> required for generic type inference and used in subsequent patches. This
>> feature is stable since rustc 1.89.
>> 
>> The second patch adds `shr` and `shl` methods to `Bounded`. These were
>> suggested by Alice during LPC as a way to avoid the use of the
>> controversial `Bounded::from_expr` in both the bitfield macro and the
>> Nova code. The third patch adds another convenience method to obtain a
>> `bool` from single-bit `Bounded`s, while the fourth patch turns
>> `Bounded::get` into a const method in order to make register setter
>> methods const.
>> 
>> Patches 5 and 6 introduce the `IoLoc` and `IoWrite` types around which
>> I/O accesses are centered. This allows registers to be accessed using
>> the same `read` and `write` methods as primitive types.
>> 
>> Patch 7 adds the `register!` macro and the types it requires.
>> 
>> Patch 8 updates the Rust PCI sample driver to use `register!`, as per
>> its TODO item.
>> 
>> Patch 9 illustrates more extensively how this macro is used by
>> converting nova-core to use it, and removing the local implementation.
>> This patch is to be merged one cycle after the other patches.
>> 
>> Patch 10 is an RFC allowing a shorter write syntax to be used in the
>> case of fixed or relative registers. It doesn't need to be merged
>> immediately, but I think it is a good time to discuss it.
>> 
>> I have also removed Gary's signoff on patches 5 and 7 to make sure it
>> doesn't get merged before he gives it explicitly.
>> 
>> Signed-off-by: Alexandre Courbot <acourbot@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> 
>> ---
>> Changes in v7:
>> - Use `RES + SHIFT >= N` instead of `RES >= N - SHIFT` in
>>    `Bounded::shr`.
>> - Rename `IoRef` to `IoLoc` and all related types
>>    accordingly.
>> - Use `Into` trait bounds in both directions on `IoLoc`.
>> - Add RFC patch allowing fixed register values to be used directly with
>>    `write`.
>> - Link to v6: https://patch.msgid.link/20260216-register-v6-0-eec9a4de9e9e@xxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>> Changes in v6:
>> - Remove Tested-by tags as the code has considerably changed.
>> - Make `Bounded::get` const so it can be used with registers.
>> - Use the `pin_init::zeroed()` const function instead of defining our
>>    own method.
>> - Generalize all `Io` around the new `IoRef` and `IoWrite` types, and
>>    make registers use these as well.
>> - Use the more natural pattern of having the `Io` type perform the I/O
>>    access instead of the register type.
>> - Convert the whole PCI driver example, and not only the PCI
>>    configuration space.
>> - Rename `Bounded::as_bool` to `Bounded::into_bool`.
>> - Drop `Bounded::into_inner` in favor of making `Bounded::get` const.
>> - Link to v5: https://patch.msgid.link/20260129-register-v5-0-c4587c902514@xxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>> Changes in v5:
>> - Rename all setters to `with_*` and `with_const_*`.
>> - Use `, stride = ` to specify the stride of register arrays.
>> - Remove `Deref` requirement on the `RegisterIo` trait and make it
>>    `#[doc(hidden)`.
>> - Simplify the top dispatch rule a bit.
>> - Link to v4: https://patch.msgid.link/20260128-register-v4-0-aee3a33d9649@xxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>> Changes in v4:
>> - Add `with_` const field setter methods (removing the need to call
>>    `Bounded::new` for constant field values).
>> - Add `into_inner` const method for `Bounded`.
>> - Add `from_raw` and const `zeroed` method to create initial register
>>    values.
>> - More documentation improvements.
>> - Link to v3: https://patch.msgid.link/20260126-register-v3-0-2328a59d7312@xxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>> Changes in v3:
>> - Sort the Rust features list alphabetically.
>> - Rebase on top of latest `driver-core-next` including the new Io trait.
>> - Allow several registers to be defined from the same macro invocation.
>> - Remove references to `bitfield!` macro.
>> - Fix doccomment of `shr` and `shl`.
>> - Use `+` syntax for relative register offsets.
>> - Move register arrays size and stride to after the backing type declaration.
>> - Use regular doccomments to document registers and fields (thanks Gary!).
>> - Remove `Default` implementation and implement the more predictable
>>    `Zeroable` instead.
>> - Improve doccomments a bit.
>> - Link to v2: https://patch.msgid.link/20260121-register-v2-0-79d9b8d5e36a@xxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>> Changes in v2:
>> - Remove `bitfield!` and put its rules into `register!` to give it more
>>    time to get reviewed.
>> - Allow output type larger than strictly required for `shr` and `shl` on
>>    `Bounded`.
>> - Enable the `generic_arg_infer` feature, required for rustc < 1.89.
>> - Link to v1: https://patch.msgid.link/20260120-register-v1-0-723a1743b557@xxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>> ---
>> Alexandre Courbot (10):
>>        rust: enable the `generic_arg_infer` feature
>>        rust: num: add `shr` and `shl` methods to `Bounded`
>>        rust: num: add `into_bool` method to `Bounded`
>>        rust: num: make Bounded::get const
>>        rust: io: add IoLoc and IoWrite types
>>        rust: io: use generic read/write accessors for primitive accesses
>>        rust: io: add `register!` macro
>>        sample: rust: pci: use `register!` macro
>>        [FOR REFERENCE] gpu: nova-core: use the kernel `register!` macro
>>        RFC: rust: io: allow fixed register values directly in `write`
>> 
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon.rs           |  249 +++----
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/gsp.rs       |   23 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/hal/ga102.rs |   65 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/hal/tu102.rs |   11 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/sec2.rs      |   17 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/fb.rs               |    6 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/fb/hal/ga100.rs     |   40 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/fb/hal/ga102.rs     |    7 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/fb/hal/tu102.rs     |   22 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/gfw.rs              |   11 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/gpu.rs              |   36 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/gsp/boot.rs         |   11 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/gsp/cmdq.rs         |   10 +-
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/regs.rs             |  544 ++++++++------
>>   drivers/gpu/nova-core/regs/macros.rs      |  739 -------------------
>>   rust/kernel/io.rs                         |  347 +++++++--
>>   rust/kernel/io/register.rs                | 1135 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>   rust/kernel/lib.rs                        |    3 +
>>   rust/kernel/num/bounded.rs                |   70 +-
>>   samples/rust/rust_driver_pci.rs           |   84 ++-
>>   scripts/Makefile.build                    |    3 +-
>>   21 files changed, 2118 insertions(+), 1315 deletions(-)
>> ---
>> base-commit: 545225ee0b0b6998c7b6ff888f8497681b8b35c4
>> change-id: 20260117-register-ccaba1d21713
>
>
> I converted my simple aarch64 TMU timer example [1] over to v7 (many 
> thanks helping with that!) and gave it a try: It works like with v2. 
> With that:
>
> Tested-by: Dirk Behme <dirk.behme@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Really appreciated! And I think we are finally converging, so hopefully
no more big refactoring ahead. :) Still, please let me know if you saw
anything that looked off during the conversion.