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authorLinus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>2008-04-25 12:40:57 -0700
committerLinus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>2008-04-25 12:40:57 -0700
commit37b05b17985ecc43a33e2a8cbdaa220115de4703 (patch)
tree8213bf790182711677018ed322a9ccf61470242e /Documentation/usb/persist.txt
parentce1d5b23a8d1e19866ab82bdec0dc41fde5273d8 (diff)
parent4953d141dc5db748475001cfbfdcc42e66cf900e (diff)
Merge git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/usb-2.6
* git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/usb-2.6: (120 commits) usb: don't update devnum for wusb devices wusb: make ep0_reinit available for modules wusb: devices dont use a set address wusb: teach choose_address() about wireless devices wusb: add link wusb-usb device wusb: add authenticathed bit to usb_dev USB: remove unnecessary type casting of urb->context usb serial: more fixes and groundwork for tty changes USB: replace remaining __FUNCTION__ occurrences USB: usbfs: export the URB_NO_INTERRUPT flag to userspace USB: fix compile problems in ehci-hcd USB: ehci: qh_completions cleanup and bugfix USB: cdc-acm: signedness fix USB: add documentation about callbacks USB: don't explicitly reenable root-hub status interrupts USB: OHCI: turn off RD when remote wakeup is disabled USB: HCDs use the do_remote_wakeup flag USB: g_file_storage: ignore bulk-out data after invalid CBW USB: serial: remove endpoints setting checks from core and header USB: serial: remove unneeded number endpoints settings ...
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/usb/persist.txt')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/usb/persist.txt43
1 files changed, 23 insertions, 20 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/usb/persist.txt b/Documentation/usb/persist.txt
index df54d645cbb..d56cb1a1155 100644
--- a/Documentation/usb/persist.txt
+++ b/Documentation/usb/persist.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
Alan Stern <stern@rowland.harvard.edu>
- September 2, 2006 (Updated May 29, 2007)
+ September 2, 2006 (Updated February 25, 2008)
What is the problem?
@@ -65,9 +65,10 @@ much better.)
What is the solution?
-Setting CONFIG_USB_PERSIST will cause the kernel to work around these
-issues. It enables a mode in which the core USB device data
-structures are allowed to persist across a power-session disruption.
+The kernel includes a feature called USB-persist. It tries to work
+around these issues by allowing the core USB device data structures to
+persist across a power-session disruption.
+
It works like this. If the kernel sees that a USB host controller is
not in the expected state during resume (i.e., if the controller was
reset or otherwise had lost power) then it applies a persistence check
@@ -80,28 +81,30 @@ re-enumeration shows that the device now attached to that port has the
same descriptors as before, including the Vendor and Product IDs, then
the kernel continues to use the same device structure. In effect, the
kernel treats the device as though it had merely been reset instead of
-unplugged.
+unplugged. The same thing happens if the host controller is in the
+expected state but a USB device was unplugged and then replugged.
If no device is now attached to the port, or if the descriptors are
different from what the kernel remembers, then the treatment is what
you would expect. The kernel destroys the old device structure and
behaves as though the old device had been unplugged and a new device
-plugged in, just as it would without the CONFIG_USB_PERSIST option.
+plugged in.
The end result is that the USB device remains available and usable.
Filesystem mounts and memory mappings are unaffected, and the world is
now a good and happy place.
-Note that even when CONFIG_USB_PERSIST is set, the "persist" feature
-will be applied only to those devices for which it is enabled. You
-can enable the feature by doing (as root):
+Note that the "USB-persist" feature will be applied only to those
+devices for which it is enabled. You can enable the feature by doing
+(as root):
echo 1 >/sys/bus/usb/devices/.../power/persist
where the "..." should be filled in the with the device's ID. Disable
the feature by writing 0 instead of 1. For hubs the feature is
-automatically and permanently enabled, so you only have to worry about
-setting it for devices where it really matters.
+automatically and permanently enabled and the power/persist file
+doesn't even exist, so you only have to worry about setting it for
+devices where it really matters.
Is this the best solution?
@@ -112,19 +115,19 @@ centralized Logical Volume Manager. Such a solution would allow you
to plug in a USB flash device, create a persistent volume associated
with it, unplug the flash device, plug it back in later, and still
have the same persistent volume associated with the device. As such
-it would be more far-reaching than CONFIG_USB_PERSIST.
+it would be more far-reaching than USB-persist.
On the other hand, writing a persistent volume manager would be a big
job and using it would require significant input from the user. This
solution is much quicker and easier -- and it exists now, a giant
point in its favor!
-Furthermore, the USB_PERSIST option applies to _all_ USB devices, not
+Furthermore, the USB-persist feature applies to _all_ USB devices, not
just mass-storage devices. It might turn out to be equally useful for
other device types, such as network interfaces.
- WARNING: Using CONFIG_USB_PERSIST can be dangerous!!
+ WARNING: USB-persist can be dangerous!!
When recovering an interrupted power session the kernel does its best
to make sure the USB device hasn't been changed; that is, the same
@@ -133,10 +136,10 @@ aren't guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
If you replace one USB device with another of the same type (same
manufacturer, same IDs, and so on) there's an excellent chance the
-kernel won't detect the change. Serial numbers and other strings are
-not compared. In many cases it wouldn't help if they were, because
-manufacturers frequently omit serial numbers entirely in their
-devices.
+kernel won't detect the change. The serial number string and other
+descriptors are compared with the kernel's stored values, but this
+might not help since manufacturers frequently omit serial numbers
+entirely in their devices.
Furthermore it's quite possible to leave a USB device exactly the same
while changing its media. If you replace the flash memory card in a
@@ -152,5 +155,5 @@ but yourself.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
That having been said, most of the time there shouldn't be any trouble
-at all. The "persist" feature can be extremely useful. Make the most
-of it.
+at all. The USB-persist feature can be extremely useful. Make the
+most of it.