Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] powerpc: kernel: remove useless code which related with 'max_cpus'

From: Benjamin Herrenschmidt <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:16:21 +1000

On Thu, 2013-07-25 at 13:15 +1000, Michael Ellerman wrote:
> > But for API (also include the internal API), at least, better to always
> > provide the return value which can indicate failure by negative number
> > (if succeed can return the meanness value, e.g. the number of cpus).
> 
> Are we still talking about this?
> 
> There is no point returning a value when no one checks it. Which is the
> case here.

Right. The return value is historical, it dates from when we didn't have
cpu_possible_mask etc...

Nowadays, the probe() routine is just some early init, and might also
affect those masks if needed, the return value has become obsolete.

You are welcome to post a patch removing it.

Cheers,
Ben.