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[PATCH v2 1/3] media: open.rst: better document device node naming

From Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com>
Newsgroups linux.kernel
Subject [PATCH v2 1/3] media: open.rst: better document device node naming
Date 2017-08-25 15:00 +0200
Message-ID <uimno-4aL-13@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References <uimnn-4aL-1@gated-at.bofh.it>
Organization linux.* mail to news gateway

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Right now, only kAPI documentation describes the device naming.
However, such description is needed at the uAPI too. Add it,
and describe how to get an unique identify for a given device.

Signed-off-by: Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com>
---
 Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst | 40 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
 1 file changed, 35 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst b/Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst
index afd116edb40d..9b98d10d5153 100644
--- a/Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst
+++ b/Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ Opening and Closing Devices
 ***************************
 
 
-Device Naming
-=============
+V4L2 Device Node Naming
+=======================
 
 V4L2 drivers are implemented as kernel modules, loaded manually by the
 system administrator or automatically when a device is first discovered.
-The driver modules plug into the "videodev" kernel module. It provides
+The driver modules plug into the ``videodev`` kernel module. It provides
 helper functions and a common application interface specified in this
 document.
 
@@ -20,8 +20,38 @@ Each driver thus loaded registers one or more device nodes with major
 number 81 and a minor number between 0 and 255. Minor numbers are
 allocated dynamically unless the kernel is compiled with the kernel
 option CONFIG_VIDEO_FIXED_MINOR_RANGES. In that case minor numbers
-are allocated in ranges depending on the device node type (video, radio,
-etc.).
+are allocated in ranges depending on the device node type.
+
+The existing V4L2 device node types are:
+
+======================== ======================================================
+Default device node name Usage
+======================== ======================================================
+``/dev/videoX``		 Video input/output devices
+``/dev/vbiX``		 Vertical blank data (i.e. closed captions, teletext)
+``/dev/radioX``		 Radio tuners
+``/dev/swradioX``	 Software Defined Radio tuners
+``/dev/v4l-touchX``	 Touch sensors
+======================== ======================================================
+
+Where ``X`` is a non-negative number.
+
+.. note::
+
+   1. The actual device node name is system-dependent, as udev rules may apply.
+   2. There's not warranty that ``X`` will remain the same for the same
+      device, as the number depends on the device driver's probe order.
+      If you need an unique name, udev default rules produce
+      ``/dev/v4l/by-id/`` and ``/dev/v4l/by-path/`` that can use to uniquelly
+      identify a V4L2 device node::
+
+	$ tree /dev/v4l
+	/dev/v4l
+	├── by-id
+	│   └── usb-OmniVision._USB_Camera-B4.04.27.1-video-index0 -> ../../video0
+	└── by-path
+	    └── pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:2:1.0-video-index0 -> ../../video0
+
 
 Many drivers support "video_nr", "radio_nr" or "vbi_nr" module
 options to select specific video/radio/vbi node numbers. This allows the
-- 
2.13.3

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Thread

[PATCH v2 0/3] document types of hardware control for V4L2 Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com> - 2017-08-25 15:00 +0200
  [PATCH v2 2/3] media: open.rst: document devnode-centric and mc-centric types Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com> - 2017-08-25 15:00 +0200
    Re: [PATCH v2 2/3] media: open.rst: document devnode-centric and  mc-centric types Hans Verkuil <hverkuil@xs4all.nl> - 2017-08-25 15:50 +0200
      Re: [PATCH v2 2/3] media: open.rst: document devnode-centric and  mc-centric types Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com> - 2017-08-26 13:00 +0200
  Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] media: open.rst: better document device node  naming Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com> - 2017-08-25 15:00 +0200
  [PATCH v2 1/3] media: open.rst: better document device node naming Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com> - 2017-08-25 15:00 +0200
    Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] media: open.rst: better document device node  naming Hans Verkuil <hverkuil@xs4all.nl> - 2017-08-25 15:40 +0200
  [PATCH v2 3/3] media: videodev2: add a flag for MC-centric devices Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com> - 2017-08-25 15:00 +0200

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