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@@ -42,23 +42,27 @@ like this source file: see Documentation/watchdog/src/watchdog-simple.c
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A more advanced driver could for example check that a HTTP server is
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still responding before doing the write call to ping the watchdog.
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-When the device is closed, the watchdog is disabled. This is not
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-always such a good idea, since if there is a bug in the watchdog
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-daemon and it crashes the system will not reboot. Because of this,
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-some of the drivers support the configuration option "Disable watchdog
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-shutdown on close", CONFIG_WATCHDOG_NOWAYOUT. If it is set to Y when
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-compiling the kernel, there is no way of disabling the watchdog once
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-it has been started. So, if the watchdog daemon crashes, the system
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-will reboot after the timeout has passed. Watchdog devices also usually
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-support the nowayout module parameter so that this option can be controlled
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-at runtime.
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-
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-Drivers will not disable the watchdog, unless a specific magic character 'V'
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-has been sent /dev/watchdog just before closing the file. If the userspace
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-daemon closes the file without sending this special character, the driver
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-will assume that the daemon (and userspace in general) died, and will stop
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-pinging the watchdog without disabling it first. This will then cause a
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-reboot if the watchdog is not re-opened in sufficient time.
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+When the device is closed, the watchdog is disabled, unless the "Magic
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+Close" feature is supported (see below). This is not always such a
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+good idea, since if there is a bug in the watchdog daemon and it
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+crashes the system will not reboot. Because of this, some of the
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+drivers support the configuration option "Disable watchdog shutdown on
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+close", CONFIG_WATCHDOG_NOWAYOUT. If it is set to Y when compiling
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+the kernel, there is no way of disabling the watchdog once it has been
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+started. So, if the watchdog daemon crashes, the system will reboot
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+after the timeout has passed. Watchdog devices also usually support
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+the nowayout module parameter so that this option can be controlled at
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+runtime.
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+
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+Magic Close feature:
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+
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+If a driver supports "Magic Close", the driver will not disable the
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+watchdog unless a specific magic character 'V' has been sent to
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+/dev/watchdog just before closing the file. If the userspace daemon
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+closes the file without sending this special character, the driver
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+will assume that the daemon (and userspace in general) died, and will
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+stop pinging the watchdog without disabling it first. This will then
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+cause a reboot if the watchdog is not re-opened in sufficient time.
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The ioctl API:
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