Re: [linux-pm] [PATCH 0/8] Suspend block api (version 6)

From: Rafael J. Wysocki
Date: Wed May 19 2010 - 16:41:38 EST


On Wednesday 19 May 2010, Felipe Balbi wrote:
> On Tue, May 18, 2010 at 03:59:48PM +0200, ext James Bottomley wrote:
> >On Tue, 2010-05-18 at 09:40 +0300, Felipe Balbi wrote:
> >> On Mon, May 17, 2010 at 09:49:35PM +0200, ext James Bottomley wrote:
> >> >Right, because Firmware writers are from the rugged unresponsive uplands
> >> >of planet
> >> >ignore-user-complaints-and-eat-them-for-breakfast-if-they-file-bugs and
> >> >Software writers are from the emollient responsive groves of planet
> >> >harmony. Obviously what would work for one wouldn't work for the other.
> >> >
> >> >As a software writer, I fully buy into that world view. The trouble is
> >> >that when I go to dinner with hardware people, they seem to be awfully
> >> >nice chaps ... almost exactly like me, in fact ...
> >>
> >> what does this add to suspend_blockers discussion ?
> >
> >Sorry I was evidently being too subtle.
> >
> >The point is that if, as you acknowledge, that you can't train firmware
> >engineers to be responsive, there's no reason to think you can train
> >software engineers in the same quality ... they're very similar people.
>
> I wouldn't say it's up to the engineer himself, it's more related to how
> the company that person works for deal with such things.
>
> >The corollary is that real world systems have to operate in the face of
> >misbehaving hardware *and* software.
>
> I still think the kernel shouldn't deal with broken applications and we
> shouldn't try to fix them in kernel space. We can, of course, try to
> find them and have all sorts of bells and whistles shouting 'process
> %s is preventing CPU from sleeping for %llu nanoseconds' or something
> like that.

Please note that this approach is not too practical for vendors who ship
systems like cell phones to the general public.

Rafael
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/