2006-02-03 14:16:25

by Artem B. Bityutskiy

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: [QUESTION/sysfs] strange refcounting

Hello folks,

I'm writing a simple device driver and want to expose some of its
attributes to userspace via sysfs.

As usually, I have main device description structure "struct
mydev_info". I've embedded a struct device object there. What I do is:

struct mydev_info mydev
{
struct device *dev;
... bla bla bla ...
} mydev;


mydev->dev=kzalloc(sizeof(struct device), GFP_KERNEL);
mydev->dev->bus_id = "mydev";
mydev->dev->release = mydev_release;
err = device_register(&mydev->dev);

Then, I see /sys/devices/mydev/ in sysfs. I open pre-defined
/sys/devices/mydev/power/state in userspace and don't close it.

Then I run lsmod, and see zero refcount to my module. Well, I run rmmod
mymod, module is unloaded.

Then I close /sys/devices/mydev/power/state, and enjoy segfault.

I thought sysfs subsystem have to increase module refcount when one
opens its sysfs files. Well, there is a release function, but it is also
unloaded with the module.

May be there is a problem because of I have mydev->dev->parent == NULL,
mydev->dev->bus == NULL, mydev->dev->driver == NULL? But I really don't
have any bus, any parent and I don't want to introduce struct
device_driver ...

Kernel is 2.6.15.1.

Although this is my first meet with sysfs, this looks strange.

Thanks.

--
Best regards, Artem B. Bityutskiy
Oktet Labs (St. Petersburg), Software Engineer.
+78124286709 (office) +79112449030 (mobile)
E-mail: [email protected], web: http://www.oktetlabs.ru


2006-02-03 17:09:18

by Greg KH

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [QUESTION/sysfs] strange refcounting

On Fri, Feb 03, 2006 at 05:16:22PM +0300, Artem B. Bityutskiy wrote:
> Hello folks,
>
> I'm writing a simple device driver and want to expose some of its
> attributes to userspace via sysfs.
>
> As usually, I have main device description structure "struct
> mydev_info". I've embedded a struct device object there. What I do is:
>
> struct mydev_info mydev
> {
> struct device *dev;

First off, this should not be a pointer, but rather:
struct device dev;

That properly embedds the struct device into your object.

> ... bla bla bla ...
> } mydev;
>
>
> mydev->dev=kzalloc(sizeof(struct device), GFP_KERNEL);
> mydev->dev->bus_id = "mydev";
> mydev->dev->release = mydev_release;
> err = device_register(&mydev->dev);

What type of bus does this device live on? You should not be calling
device_register() on your own directly. Either use a bus, and be a
device of it, or use the platform_device() interface.

> Then, I see /sys/devices/mydev/ in sysfs. I open pre-defined
> /sys/devices/mydev/power/state in userspace and don't close it.
>
> Then I run lsmod, and see zero refcount to my module. Well, I run rmmod
> mymod, module is unloaded.

Yup.

> Then I close /sys/devices/mydev/power/state, and enjoy segfault.

What is the backtrace?

> I thought sysfs subsystem have to increase module refcount when one
> opens its sysfs files. Well, there is a release function, but it is also
> unloaded with the module.

Again, register with a bus or use the platform_device() interface, and
this should work properly.

> May be there is a problem because of I have mydev->dev->parent == NULL,
> mydev->dev->bus == NULL, mydev->dev->driver == NULL? But I really don't
> have any bus, any parent and I don't want to introduce struct
> device_driver ...

Yes, you kind of need all of that :)

Make the above changes and let us know if that helps things.

thanks,

greg k-h