On Thu, Sep 01, 2011 at 12:51:58PM +0200, Guennadi Liakhovetski wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Sep 2011, Sakari Ailus wrote:
> 
> > Guennadi Liakhovetski wrote:
> > > On Thu, 1 Sep 2011, Sakari Ailus wrote:
> > > 
> > >> On Thu, Sep 01, 2011 at 09:03:52AM +0200, Guennadi Liakhovetski wrote:
> > >>> Hi Sakari
> > >>
> > >> Hi Guennadi,
> > >>
> > >>> On Thu, 1 Sep 2011, Sakari Ailus wrote:
> > >> [clip]
> > >>>>> diff --git a/include/linux/videodev2.h b/include/linux/videodev2.h
> > >>>>> index fca24cc..988e1be 100644
> > >>>>> --- a/include/linux/videodev2.h
> > >>>>> +++ b/include/linux/videodev2.h
> > >>>>> @@ -653,6 +653,9 @@ struct v4l2_buffer {
> > >>>>>  #define V4L2_BUF_FLAG_ERROR  0x0040
> > >>>>>  #define V4L2_BUF_FLAG_TIMECODE       0x0100  /* timecode field is 
> > >>>>> valid */
> > >>>>>  #define V4L2_BUF_FLAG_INPUT     0x0200  /* input field is valid */
> > >>>>> +/* Cache handling flags */
> > >>>>> +#define V4L2_BUF_FLAG_NO_CACHE_INVALIDATE    0x0400
> > >>>>> +#define V4L2_BUF_FLAG_NO_CACHE_CLEAN         0x0800
> > >>>>>  
> > >>>>>  /*
> > >>>>>   *   O V E R L A Y   P R E V I E W
> > >>>>> @@ -2092,6 +2095,15 @@ struct v4l2_dbg_chip_ident {
> > >>>>>       __u32 revision;    /* chip revision, chip specific */
> > >>>>>  } __attribute__ ((packed));
> > >>>>>  
> > >>>>> +/* VIDIOC_CREATE_BUFS */
> > >>>>> +struct v4l2_create_buffers {
> > >>>>> +     __u32                   index;          /* output: buffers 
> > >>>>> index...index + count - 1 have been created */
> > >>>>> +     __u32                   count;
> > >>>>> +     enum v4l2_memory        memory;
> > >>>>> +     struct v4l2_format      format;         /* "type" is used 
> > >>>>> always, the rest if sizeimage == 0 */
> > >>>>> +     __u32                   reserved[8];
> > >>>>> +};
> > >>>>
> > >>>> How about splitting the above comments? These lines are really long.
> > >>>> Kerneldoc could also be used, I think.
> > >>>
> > >>> Sure, how about this incremental patch:
> > >>>
> > >>> From: Guennadi Liakhovetski <g.liakhovet...@gmx.de>
> > >>> Subject: V4L: improve struct v4l2_create_buffers documentation
> > >>>
> > >>> Signed-off-by: Guennadi Liakhovetski <g.liakhovet...@gmx.de>
> > >>> ---
> > >>> diff --git a/include/linux/videodev2.h b/include/linux/videodev2.h
> > >>> index 988e1be..64e0bf2 100644
> > >>> --- a/include/linux/videodev2.h
> > >>> +++ b/include/linux/videodev2.h
> > >>> @@ -2095,12 +2095,20 @@ struct v4l2_dbg_chip_ident {
> > >>>         __u32 revision;    /* chip revision, chip specific */
> > >>>  } __attribute__ ((packed));
> > >>>  
> > >>> -/* VIDIOC_CREATE_BUFS */
> > >>> +/**
> > >>> + * struct v4l2_create_buffers - VIDIOC_CREATE_BUFS argument
> > >>> + * @index:     on return, index of the first created buffer
> > >>> + * @count:     entry: number of requested buffers,
> > >>> + *             return: number of created buffers
> > >>> + * @memory:    buffer memory type
> > >>> + * @format:    frame format, for which buffers are requested
> > >>> + * @reserved:  future extensions
> > >>> + */
> > >>>  struct v4l2_create_buffers {
> > >>> -       __u32                   index;          /* output: buffers 
> > >>> index...index + count - 1 have been created */
> > >>> +       __u32                   index;
> > >>>         __u32                   count;
> > >>>         enum v4l2_memory        memory;
> > >>> -       struct v4l2_format      format;         /* "type" is used 
> > >>> always, the rest if sizeimage == 0 */
> > >>> +       struct v4l2_format      format;
> > >>>         __u32                   reserved[8];
> > >>>  };
> > >>
> > >> Thanks! This looks good to me. Could you do a similar change to the
> > >> compat-IOCTL version of this struct (v4l2_create_buffers32)?
> > > 
> > > Of course, I'll submit an incremental patch as soon as this is accepted 
> > > for upstream, unless there are other important changes to this patch and 
> > > a 
> > > new revision is anyway unavoidable.
> > 
> > Ok. I'll send a small patch to the documentation as well then.
> 
> Good, thanks!
> 
> > >>>>> +
> > >>>>>  /*
> > >>>>>   *   I O C T L   C O D E S   F O R   V I D E O   D E V I C E S
> > >>>>>   *
> > >>>>> @@ -2182,6 +2194,9 @@ struct v4l2_dbg_chip_ident {
> > >>>>>  #define      VIDIOC_SUBSCRIBE_EVENT   _IOW('V', 90, struct 
> > >>>>> v4l2_event_subscription)
> > >>>>>  #define      VIDIOC_UNSUBSCRIBE_EVENT _IOW('V', 91, struct 
> > >>>>> v4l2_event_subscription)
> > >>>>>  
> > >>>>> +#define VIDIOC_CREATE_BUFS   _IOWR('V', 92, struct 
> > >>>>> v4l2_create_buffers)
> > >>>>> +#define VIDIOC_PREPARE_BUF    _IOW('V', 93, struct v4l2_buffer)
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Does prepare_buf ever do anything that would need to return anything 
> > >>>> to the
> > >>>> user? I guess the answer is "no"?
> > >>>
> > >>> Exactly, that's why it's an "_IOW" ioctl(), not an "_IOWR", or have I 
> > >>> misunderstood you?
> > >>
> > >> I was thinking if this will be the case now and in the foreseeable 
> > >> future as
> > >> this can't be changed after once defined. I just wanted to bring this up
> > >> even though I don't see myself that any of the fields would need to be
> > >> returned to the user. But there are reserved fields...
> > >>
> > >> So unless someone comes up with something quick, I think this should stay
> > >> as-is.
> > > 
> > > Agree. I understand, it is important to try to design the user-space API 
> > > as clever as possible, so, I'm relying on our combined wisdom for it. But 
> > > even that is probably limited, so, mistakes are still possible. 
> > > Therefore, 
> > > unless someone comes up with a realistic reason, why this has to be 
> > > _IOWR, 
> > > we shall keep it _IOW and be prepared to delight our user-space 
> > > colleagues 
> > > with more shiny new ioctl()s in the somewhat near future;-)
> > 
> > What we could also do is to mark the new IOCTLs experimental, and remove
> > the note after one or two more kernel releases. This would allow
> > postponing the decision.
> 
> Is there a standard way to do this, or is it just a free-form note in the 
> documentation / in the header?

I think a free form note saying this out loud in a visible place should be
enough. A note should also be added to
Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/compat.xml to the section "Experimental API
Elements".

Speaking of this, we seem to have quite a few of these that probably
shouldn't be experimental anymore, such as VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMESIZES.
Interestingly enough, VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMEINTERVALS no longer is experimental.
I think I'll send a patch for this.

<URL:http://hverkuil.home.xs4all.nl/spec/media.html#vidioc-enum-framesizes>

> > We also don't have anyone using these ioctls from user space as far as I
> > understand, so we might get important input later on as well.
> 
> Does either of these allow us to actually _change_ ioctl()s after their 
> appearance in the mainline?

That's my understanding, but of course someone could just say "no" when we
try to do that. I think that if something is marked experimental at least
the argument that it can't be changed is a little bit moot since the users
have been notified of this beforehand.

There are a few examples of this. At least the V4L2 subdev and MC interfaces
are marked experimental. However, we haven't actually tried to use that to
make changes which might break user space since we haven't got a need to.

Hans, Laurent: do you have an opinion on this?

-- 
Sakari Ailus
sakari.ai...@iki.fi
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