[dpdk-dev] [PATCH] doc: announce API change for virtual device initialization

[De Lara Guarch, Pablo]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: dev [mailto:dev-bounces at dpdk.org] On Behalf Of De Lara Guarch,
> Pablo
> Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 3:55 PM
> To: Thomas Monjalon; Yigit, Ferruh
> Cc: dev at dpdk.org; Mcnamara, John
> Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH] doc: announce API change for virtual device
> initialization
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:thomas.monjalon at 6wind.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 2:39 PM
> > To: Yigit, Ferruh
> > Cc: dev at dpdk.org; De Lara Guarch, Pablo; Mcnamara, John
> > Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH] doc: announce API change for virtual device
> > initialization
> >
> > 2016-07-05 14:04, Ferruh Yigit:
> > > On 7/4/2016 3:50 PM, Pablo de Lara wrote:
> > > > +* The rte_eal_vdev_init function will be changed in 16.11 to return
> > > > +  the port/device id of the device created, instead of 0, when it has
> been
> > > > +  initialized successfully, so user can use the returned value straight
> away
> > > > +  to call all the device functions that require that parameter.
> > >
> > > There is another API rte_eth_dev_attach(), which returns port_id, and is
> > > a common wrapper both for pdev and vdev.
> > > So with proper devargs this API calls rte_eal_vdev_init() and returns
> > > port_id (set in argument) without any extra side effect.
> >
> > I think rte_eth_dev_attach() should be removed from ethdev.
> > Hotplugging a device belongs to device management, i.e. EAL.
> 
> Even though rte_eth_dev_attach returns the port id, I think that
> rte_eal_vdev_init
> can return the port id anyway (and then, we can remove the call to
> rte_eth_dev_get_port_by_name
>  in rte_eth_dev_attach).

Also, that function is only applicable to Ethernet devices,
so other devices like Crypto devices cannot be used.
If we want to use that function for all devices, we should move it to eal,
modify it slightly and rename it, and therefore, we will need
a deprecation notice as well.