Re: [PATCH net-next v11 04/15] ax88179_178a: Split driver into library and device specific code

[netdev-bot+sashiko@kernel.org]

Thank you for your contribution! Sashiko AI review found 1 potential
issue(s) to consider:

Critical: 0 · High: 0 · Medium: 1 · Low: 0

- [Medium] The patch renames the built module from ax88179_178a.ko to
  ax88179.ko (drivers/net/usb/Makefile:…

--

ax88179_178a: Split driver into library and device specific code

This splits ax88179_178a.c into a new ax88179_lib.c/ax88179_lib.h holding
the register definitions and code common to the AX88179/178a/179a/279
family, leaving the device specific parts in ax88179_178a.c. The built
module is renamed from ax88179_178a to ax88179.

> diff --git a/drivers/net/usb/Makefile b/drivers/net/usb/Makefile
> index 4964f7b326fbc..ddd76fa71e2ee 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/usb/Makefile
> +++ b/drivers/net/usb/Makefile
> @@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_USB_HSO)		+= hso.o
>  obj-$(CONFIG_USB_LAN78XX)	+= lan78xx.o
>  obj-$(CONFIG_USB_NET_AX8817X)	+= asix.o
>  asix-y := asix_devices.o asix_common.o ax88172a.o
> -obj-$(CONFIG_USB_NET_AX88179_178A)      += ax88179_178a.o
> +obj-$(CONFIG_USB_NET_AX88179_178A)      += ax88179.o
> +ax88179-y := ax88179_178a.o ax88179_lib.o

[Severity: Medium]
This renames the built module from ax88179_178a.ko to ax88179.ko.  Should a
MODULE_ALIAS("ax88179_178a") be added next to the usb_driver in
ax88179_178a.c so that the old name stays resolvable?

Device autoprobing is unaffected, since MODULE_DEVICE_TABLE and the
usb_driver .name are unchanged:

drivers/net/usb/ax88179_178a.c:
	.name =		"ax88179_178a",

But anything keyed on the module name stops matching after the rename:

  - "blacklist ax88179_178a" in /etc/modprobe.d silently becomes a no-op,
    so a host that deliberately kept this driver from binding will bind it
    after the upgrade
  - "modprobe ax88179_178a" fails with "Module ax88179_178a not found"
  - initramfs/dracut force-load lists naming ax88179_178a become dead
    entries

Grepping for MODULE_ALIAS in drivers/net/usb/ax88179*.c at the end of the
series (5c3c73e953b8) returns nothing, so the old name is never restored
later either.

Could the changelog also mention this user-visible consequence?  The
current text only says:

    Rename the module to ax88179 to reflect the broader scope of
    controllers supported by the module.

which does not indicate that name-keyed modprobe configuration changes
behaviour.

-- 
Sashiko AI review · https://netdev-ai.bots.linux.dev/sashiko/#/patchset/20260914-ax88179a-v11-0-5ea7a925ba6d%40birger-koblitz.de