Re: [PATCH v5 04/10] drm/bridge: add documentation of refcounted bridges

[Randy Dunlap]

Hi--

On 12/31/24 2:39 AM, Luca Ceresoli wrote:
> Document in detail the new refcounted bridges as well as the "legacy" way.
>
> Signed-off-by: Luca Ceresoli <luca.c...@bootlin.com>
>
> ---
>
> This patch was added in v5.
> ---
> Documentation/gpu/drm-kms-helpers.rst | 6 ++
> drivers/gpu/drm/drm_bridge.c | 122 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 2 files changed, 128 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/gpu/drm-kms-helpers.rst b/Documentation/gpu/drm-kms-helpers.rst
> index 8cf2f041af4704875910ce8228ae04615d0f21bd..ca2cfef2101988933e1464fe146997c1a661a117 100644
> --- a/Documentation/gpu/drm-kms-helpers.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/gpu/drm-kms-helpers.rst
> @@ -151,6 +151,12 @@ Overview
> .. kernel-doc:: drivers/gpu/drm/drm_bridge.c
> :doc: overview
>
> +Bridge lifecycle
> +----------------
> +
> +.. kernel-doc:: drivers/gpu/drm/drm_bridge.c
> + :doc: bridge lifecycle
> +
> Display Driver Integration
> --------------------------
>
> diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_bridge.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_bridge.c
> index 6255ef59f73d8041a8cb7f2c6e23e5a67d1ae926..e9f138aa5b3270b4e3a1a56dc8d4b7e5f993c929 100644
> --- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_bridge.c
> +++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_bridge.c
> @@ -60,6 +60,128 @@
> * encoder chain.
> */
>
> +/**
> + * DOC: bridge lifecycle
> + *
> + * Allocation, initializion and teardown of a bridge can be implemented in

initialization

> + * one of two ways: *refcounted* mode and *legacy* mode.
> + *
> + * In **refcounted** mode:
> + *
> + * - each &struct drm_bridge is reference counted since its instantiation
> + * - any code taking a pointer to a bridge has get and put APIs to refcount
> + * it and so ensure the bridge won't be deallocated while using it
> + * - deallocation is done when the last put happens and the refcount drops
> + * to zero
> + * - the driver instantiating the bridge also holds a reference, but the
> + * allocated struct can survive it
> + *
> + * A bridge using refcounted mode is called a *refcounted bridge*.
> + *
> + * In **legacy** mode the &struct drm_bridge lifetime is tied to the device
> + * instantiating it: it is allocated on probe and freed on removal. Any
> + * other kernel entities holding a pointer to the bridge could incur in
> + * use-after-free in case the bridge is deallocated at runtime.
> + *
> + * Legacy mode used to be the only one until refcounted bridges were
> + * introduced, hance the name. It is still fine in case the bridges are a

hence

> + * fixed part of the pipeline, i.e. if the bridges are removed only when
> + * tearing down the entire card. Refcounted bridges support both that case
> + * and the case of more dynamic hardware with bridges that can be removed
> + * at runtime without tearing down the entire card.
> + *
> + * Usage of refcounted bridges happens in two sides: the driver
> + * implementing the bridge and the code using the bridge.
> + *
> + * For *drivers implemeting the bridge*, in both refcounted and legacy

implementing

> + * modes the common and expected pattern is that the driver declares a
> + * driver-specific struct embedding a &struct drm_bridge. E.g.::


--
~Randy