[Question: Drivers/base/core.c] Why dev->init_name = NULL in device_add function ?

Aniroop Mathur <[email protected]> Fri, 01 Aug 2014 17:25:23 +0000
Newsgroups org.kernel.vger.linux-hotplug,org.kernel.vger.linux-kernel
Message-ID <CADYu30_FciG_aTTV4DFNdy+CdRChMYQ7pAGZGambE1F9s=ofYQ@mail.gmail.com>
Dear Mr. Greg Kroah-Hartman and Linux Community,
Greetings of the day !! :)

I am Aniroop Mathur working on Linux Kernel for last two years.
I am stuck at one point and could not find the solution over internet.
I posted on linuxquestions.org too.
So I need your help and suggestion for it.

Can you please help in answering my query as below:

==========================In function device_add of /drivers/base/core.c file, it is mentioned:
/*
* for statically allocated devices, which should all be converted
* some day, we need to initialize the name. We prevent reading back
* the name, and force the use of dev_name()
*/
if (dev->init_name) {
dev_set_name(dev, "%s", dev->init_name);
dev->init_name = NULL;
}


Except forcing the use of dev_name to read device name,
Is there any other reason to make init_name as NULL ?
And if it is not made NULL, is there any problem or side-effect ?

===========================
Link at linuxquestions.org:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-kernel-70/why-dev-init_name-%3D-null-in-device_add-function-4175504749/


Thanks a lot in advance !

Best Regards,
Aniroop Mathur