Re: [PATCH RFC V3.5] leds: trigger: Introduce an USB port trigger

From: Jacek Anaszewski
Date: Thu Aug 25 2016 - 05:04:58 EST


On 08/25/2016 10:29 AM, RafaÅ MiÅecki wrote:
On 25 August 2016 at 10:03, Jacek Anaszewski <j.anaszewski@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 08/24/2016 07:52 PM, RafaÅ MiÅecki wrote:

From: RafaÅ MiÅecki <rafal@xxxxxxxxxx>

This commit adds a new trigger responsible for turning on LED when USB
device gets connected to the specified USB port. This can can useful for
various home routers that have USB port(s) and a proper LED telling user
a device is connected.

The trigger gets its documentation file but basically it just requires
specifying USB port in a Linux format (e.g. echo 1-1 > new_port).

During work on this trigger there was a plan to add DT bindings for it,
but there wasn't an agreement on the format yet. This can be worked on
later, a sysfs interface is needed anyway for platforms not using DT.

Signed-off-by: RafaÅ MiÅecki <rafal@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
V2: Trying to add DT support, idea postponed as it will take more time
to discuss the bindings.
V3: Fix typos in commit and Documentation (thanks Jacek!)
Use "ports" sysfs file for adding and removing USB ports (thx Jacek)
Check if there is USB device connected after adding new USB port
Fix memory leak or two
V3.5: Fix e-mail address (thanks Matthias)
Simplify conditions in usbport_trig_notify (thx Matthias)
Make "ports" a subdirectory with file per port, to match one value
per file sysfs rule (thanks Greg)
As "ports" couldn't be used for adding and removing ports anymore,
there are now "new_port" and "remove_port". Having them makes this
API also common with e.g. pci and usb buses.


Now writing new_port with "1-1" produces a file named "1-1" in the
ports directory with 000 permissions. I think that what Greg had
on mind by referring to "one value per file" rule was a set of
files representing ports, like "1-1 1-2 2-1", and each file should be
readable/writeable.

For instance "echo 1 > 1-1" would enable the trigger for the port 1-1
and "echo 0 > 1-1" would disable it. The problem is that we don't know
the number of required ports at compilation time and the sysfs
attributes would have to be dynamically created on driver instantiation.
What is more, as the USB ports can dynamically appear/disappear in the
system, the files would have to be created/removed accordingly during
LED class device lifetime, which is not the best design for the sysfs
interface I think.

Therefore, maybe it would be good to follow the "triggers" sysfs
attribute pattern, where it lists the available LED triggers?

The question is whether there is some mechanism available for
notifying addition/removal of a USB port?

Every port is part of some hub and every hub (even root one) is a USB
device. So I could just get struct usb_device and check its "maxchild"
property. If e.g. I get USB device "1-1" with maxchild 4, I know there
are:
1-1.1
1-1.2
1-1.3
1-1.4

So the sysfs structure you suggested would be possible, I just don't
know if it's preferred one or not.

It would require an ack from Greg.

I'd see it as follows:

#cat available_ports
#1-1 1-2 2-1

#echo "1-1" > new_port

#cat observed_ports
#1-1

#echo "2-1" > new_port

#cat observed_ports
#1-1 2-1

We've already had few discussions about the sysfs designs trying
to break the one-value-per-file rule for LED class device, and
there was always strong resistance against.

Cc Pavel.

Confirmation: yes, right now I create simple files with chmod 000 for
every port added to the usbport observable list.


Also a description of the device connected to the port would be a nice
feature, however I am not certain about the feasibility thereof.

What kind of description do you mean? Where should it be used / where
should it appear?


Product name/symbol. Actually it should be USB subsystem responsibility
to provide the means for querying the product name by port id, if it
is possible at all.

--
Best regards,
Jacek Anaszewski