Re: [PATCH v1 5/5] driver core: Add fw_devlink.debug command line boolean parameter

From: Rob Herring
Date: Tue Sep 14 2021 - 12:53:04 EST


On Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 11:44 AM Andrew Lunn <andrew@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > I did think of this, but the problem is that dynamic debug logs can
> > get compiled out (when DYNAMIC_DEBUG isn't set). I think debugging of
> > fw_devlink needs to be possible without having to recompile the
> > kernel. So in a sense similar to how initcall_debug works today.
>
> My off the shelf Debian kernel has it enabled. Maybe you can check
> other mainline distributions and see if it is enabled by default.

Right, I would expect users that can't rebuild their kernel easily
would have it enabled.

> You are also on a slippery path. You argue this is needed all the time
> and add a custom knob. Somebody else adds a new feature which they
> also argue always needs bug, and add there own custom knob. We soon
> have lots of custom knobs, each doing it slightly differently, in
> different places. Chaos. So you need a really good argument why your
> code really is special.
>
> I would suggest you start with dynamic debug, and collect some
> statistics of how often you need to ask people to recompile their
> kernel.

I agree.

What would be nice is documenting what needs to be set for devlink.
What I used was just 'dyndbg="file drivers/base/core.c +p"'

Rob