Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org designates 23.128.96.18 as permitted sender) client-ip=23.128.96.18;
MIME-Version: 1.0
References: <2D7916FA-678F-4236-B478-C953CADF2FFA@goldelico.com>
 <CAGngYiXgc_m2A7Wihxuhzm-u4qH-JZgxHjke653zvyT45jMU7Q@mail.gmail.com>
 <4AC29229-9542-4E77-B993-217E29C7E209@goldelico.com> <20201201121620.GB5239@sirena.org.uk>
 <A499CCB9-F2EC-4F24-AA79-5A7FA6A092A9@goldelico.com>
In-Reply-To: <A499CCB9-F2EC-4F24-AA79-5A7FA6A092A9@goldelico.com>
From:   Linus Walleij <linus.walleij@linaro.org>
Date:   Tue, 1 Dec 2020 15:20:12 +0100
Message-ID: <CACRpkdYf2dUF6PjYcvnsKDPoxXPWiWKKAqpik4-2AAQjRmatfw@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [BUG] SPI broken for SPI based panel drivers
To:     "H. Nikolaus Schaller" <hns@goldelico.com>
Cc:     Mark Brown <broonie@kernel.org>,
        Sven Van Asbroeck <thesven73@gmail.com>,
        kernel list <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
        Laurent Pinchart <laurent.pinchart@ideasonboard.com>,
        Discussions about the Letux Kernel 
        <letux-kernel@openphoenux.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Precedence: bulk

Hi Nikolaus, Sven,

the fault that the thing broke in the first place is all mine.
Credit where credit is due!

The reason why I shoot in the dark to convert all SPI
drivers to use GPIO descriptors instead of the global
GPIO numberspace is detailed in drivers/gpio/TODO
so I will not repeat it here.

I don't know if much can be done about it other than
having better programmers than me at the task. Or
less tired when they write the patch. etc.

What other operating systems do to get around the same
type of refactoring problem is to aggressively
deprecate and delete code that does not follow the
latest ideas of the driver subsystem developer. This
is not an option on Linux because we don't like to leave
working hardware and users behind so I am painstakingly
fixing it all over the place, with a little help from my
friends. Sometimes it blows up in my face, sometimes
in other people faces too, sorry about that.

Yours,
Linus Walleij