Re: SET_MODULE_OWNER?

[Jeff Garzik]

Rusty Russell wrote:
> In message <[e-mail]> you write:
> 
>>Why don't you just let the maintainers apply the driver "cleanups" if 
>>they wish, or do not wish, like DaveM did.  Only when that is 
>>accomplished is it reasonable to consider moving SET_MODULE_OWNER -- and 
>>only then if other people do not need it's obvious utility.
> 
> 
> The please define when it should and should not be used, so everyone
> knows.

Use with structures that have an owner field, if you care about 
cross-version kernel source compatibility.

> Currently it seems to be:
> 
> /* This macro should be used on structures which had the owner field
>    added between 2.2 and 2.4, and not others. */
> 
> Is that correct?

No.  SET_MODULE_OWNER is useful regardless of kernel version, not just 
the restrictive set you define here.  Different vendors may implement 
SET_MODULE_OWNER with a different range of kernel versions, if they so 
choose. It's not restricted at all to when struct net_device gained an 
'owner' field.

Maybe think of it this way:  a source code hook whose implementation is 
free to change, as long as it functionally produces the desired result. 
    The in-kernel definition of the macro is only one of N implementations.

	Jeff