en Copyright 2015 Java http://172.16.0.5:8080/history/linux-6.15/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-software_node#59abd836 drivers: base: Introducing software nodes to the firmware node frameworkSoftware node is a new struct fwnode_handle type that can beused to describe devices in kernel (software). It is meantto complement fwnodes representing real firmware nodes whenthey are incomplete (for example missing device properties)and to supply the primary fwnode when the firmware lackshardware description for a device completely.The software node type is really meant to replace thecurrently used "property_set" struct fwnode_handle type. Thehandling of struct property_set is glued to the genericdevice property handling code, and it is not possible tocreate a struct property_set independently from the devicethat it is bind to. struct property_set is only created whendevice properties are added to already initialized structdevice, and control of it is only possible from the genericproperty handling code.Software nodes are instead designed to be createdindependently from the device entries (struct device). Itmakes them much more flexible, as then the device meant tobe bind to the node can be created at a later time, and fromanother location. It is also possible to bind multipledevices to a single software node if needed.The software node implementation also includes support fornode hierarchy, which was the main motivation for thiscommit. The node hierarchy was something that was requestedfor the struct property_set, but it did not seem reasonableto try to extend the property_set support for that purpose.struct property_set was really meant only for deviceproperty handling like the name suggests.Support for struct property_set is not yet removed in thiscommit, but it will be in the following one.Signed-off-by: Heikki Krogerus <heikki.krogerus@linux.intel.com>Acked-by: Linus Walleij <linus.walleij@linaro.org>Reviewed-by: Andy Shevchenko <andriy.shevchenko@linux.intel.com>Signed-off-by: Rafael J. Wysocki <rafael.j.wysocki@intel.com> List of files: /linux-6.15/Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-devices-software_node Fri, 09 Nov 2018 14:21:36 +0000 Heikki Krogerus <heikki.krogerus@linux.intel.com>