Re: [PATCH] Add iSCSI IBFT Support (v0.3)

[darnok@68k.org]

> > > I didn't realize an external file, outside of your changes, needed this
> > > function.  If it does, then perhaps you need to just place it elsewhere.
> > 
> > The fundamental problem is that 'find_ibft' ought to be available
> > from anywhere (or at least from the iscsi_ibft.c) so that the iscsi_ibft
> > module can be loaded on any platform. But on x86, it needs to be called
> >  from setup_[32|64].c because the IBFT can be located anywhere
> > between 512KB and 1MB - and the E820 does not neccesarily have to
> > exclude that region. Hence the patch I proposed implements a
> > 'reserve_ibft_region' code which would reserve the region of memory
> > found by 'find_ibft' so that it can be preserved when iscsi_ibft
> > module is actually loaded.
> > 
> > It ends up that there are three consumers of 'find_ibft':
> >  a) the module itself (iscsi_ibft.c)
> >  b) setup_32.c
> >  c) setup_64.c
> > 
> > The first choice, which looked the most flexible, was to have it
> > in iscsi_ibft.h file.
> > The second one, which would inhibit the user from making iscsi_ibft
> > a module, would be to move it to iscsi_ibft.c and make it
> > EXPORT_SYMBOL(), but that seems wasteful from a memory foot-print
> > look.
> > A third option was to put in /lib, but that doesn't seem right - this
> > 'find_ibft' code is specific to this module.
> > 
> > Of all the options, the cleanest looks to be the first choice :-(
> > (I am not trying to be obstinate here - I just can't think of any
> > other reasonable place).
> 
> If you insist on putting it in a .h file, it needs to be marked "inline"
> at the least.

Ok.

> But, why not just put it in a separate file, that is built in if the
> user wants iscsi support?  That way the setup code can call it properly
> if needed.

In what directory should I put that file? It can't be in the arch/*
directories b/c the iscsi_ibft.c wouldn't build on all platforms.
Should I put it in drivers/firmware ?