Re: [RFC PATCH v2 10/74] tests: Add basic metadata tests

[David Gibson]

On Fri, Oct 30, 2026 at 12:01:17PM +0100, Herve Codina wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:24:52 +1100
> David Gibson <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, Aug 26, 2026 at 11:48:39AM +0200, Herve Codina wrote:
> > > This first test is related to local phandle references used in
> > > properties (FDT_PROPDATA_PHANDLE dtb tag).
> > > 
> > > The test pattern used is
> > >   - Generate a dts (xxx.dts.dts) from an input dts
> > >   - Check this generated dts against expected contents
> > >   - Generate a dtb (xxx.dtb) from the same input dts
> > >   - Check this generated dtb against expected contents
> > >   - Generate a dts (xxx.dtb.dts) from the generated dtb
> > >   - Check this generated dts against expected contents
> > >   - Generate a dtb (xxx.dtb.dts.dtb) from the generated dts
> > >   - Check this generated dtb, expect the same contents as for xxx.dtb
> > > 
> > > Even if only one meta-data feature is currently tested in this tests
> > > introduction, use a loop in order to ease future addition consisting in
> > > adding new input dts as soon as new meta-data feature are supported.
> > > 
> > > Signed-off-by: Herve Codina <herve.codina@xxxxxxxxxxx>  
> > 
> > As noted elsewhere, I'd prefer to see new helper tools for comparing
> > metadata in binary rather than using text comparisons.
> 
> Right, be ready to see treegen.c growing a lot.
> 
> Indeed, to compare in binary, I need to generate the expected binary (I don't
> want to store it directly in git).

Sure.

> I already plan to split the treegen.c file in several files. Indeed, with
> unknown "structured" tags, a bunch of expected dtbs (instead to text files)
> are going to be generated.
> 
> The plan is then to have one .c files per expected dtbs set and so the
> concept of dtbs harnesses.
> 
> The problem I see here with known meta-data, is that we:
>   1) Need to keep consistency between the dts file (input source use in test)
>      and the treegen source file (which generate the expected dtb).
> 
>   2) If new meta-data tags are added in the future, treegen source files
>      will need an update. This update will be more complex than looking at
>      expected text files (fdtdump or other), and commiting the new expected
>      files if the diff is explained.

Hm, only when/if the new tags are required / automatic.

> I've proposed 'fdtanalyze' as a new tool [1] to convert a dtb to a "friendly"
> text file. The output of 'fdtanalyze' could be something like that:
> --- 8< ---
>   (0x1-FDT_BEGIN_NODE): "my_node"
>     (0x3-FDT_PROP): ...
>     (0x3-FDT_PROP): ...
>   (0x2-FDT_END_NODE)
>   ...
>   (0x9-FDT_END)
> --- 8< ---
> 
> No complex analysis but you don't seem to like it neither.

It's better than relying on fdtdump, but at this point it's just
making a text format that's isomorphic to the binary and I don't see a
lot of point.

> Without fdtanalyze, fdtdump nor other ideas, I will use treegen and
> dtbs_equal_ordered to perform tests.
> 
> [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260925144003.61f72c0e@xxxxxxxxxxx/
> 
> Best regards,
> Hervé
> 

-- 
David Gibson (he or they)	| I'll have my music baroque, and my code
david AT gibson.dropbear.id.au	| minimalist, thank you, not the other way
				| around.
http://www.ozlabs.org/~dgibson

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