Correct way to initialize semaphore in linux driver - c

Question

I wrote this linux char driver just to control open call,
#include <linux/kernel.h>
#include <linux/module.h>
#include <linux/init.h>
#include <linux/fs.h>
#include <linux/uaccess.h>
#include <linux/semaphore.h>
#include <linux/device.h>
#include <linux/cdev.h>
MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
#define CLASS_NAME "myclass"
#define MINOR_NUM 0
#define MINOR_CNT 1
static struct class *myclass=NULL;
static struct device *mydevice=NULL;
static dev_t mycdevt;
static struct cdev *mycdev;
static struct semaphore *sem;
static int myopen(struct inode *inod, struct file *fp)
{
down(sem);
printk(KERN_INFO "critical section\n");
return 0;
}
static int myclose(struct inode *inod, struct file *fp )
{
up(sem);
printk(KERN_INFO "critical section freed\n");
return 0;
}
static ssize_t myread(struct file *fp, char *buf, size_t len, loff_t *off)
{
return 0;
}
static ssize_t mywrite(struct file *fp, char *buf, size_t len, loff_t *off)
{
return 0;
}
static struct file_operations fops =
{
.open = myopen,
.release = myclose,
.read = myread,
.write = mywrite,
};
static int __init myinit(void)
{
int ret;
ret = alloc_chrdev_region ( &mycdevt, MINOR_NUM, MINOR_CNT, "mycdevt");
if(ret<0)
{
printk(KERN_INFO "chardev can't be allocated\n");
// goto label;//todo
}
mycdev = cdev_alloc();//instead of cdev_alloc, we can use cdev_init(&mycdev, &fops);
if(mycdev == NULL)
{
printk(KERN_INFO"cdev_alloc failed\n");
// goto label;//todo
}
mycdev->ops = &fops;
ret = cdev_add(mycdev, mycdevt, 1);
if(ret < 0)
{
printk(KERN_INFO"cdev_add failed\n");
// goto label;//todo
}
myclass = class_create(THIS_MODULE, CLASS_NAME);
if(myclass == NULL)
{
printk(KERN_INFO"class create failed\n");
// goto label;//todo
}
mydevice = device_create(myclass, NULL, mycdevt, NULL, "mydevice");
if(mydevice == NULL)
{
printk(KERN_INFO"device create failed\n");
// goto label;//todo
}
sema_init(sem, 1);//here is the problem
printk(KERN_INFO"myinit done\n");
return 0;
}
static void __exit myexit(void)
{
device_destroy(myclass, mycdevt);
class_unregister(myclass);
class_destroy(myclass);
cdev_del(mycdev);
unregister_chrdev(MAJOR(mycdevt), "mycdevt");
printk(KERN_INFO "exited\n");
}
module_init(myinit);
module_exit(myexit);
I am following ldd3 book, and tried to use simple APIs to use semahore for an app.
What happened is my kernel crashed when it called sema_init function. I read that semaphore is used in mutex mode
http://www.makelinux.net/ldd3/chp-5-sect-3
I also read that semaphore is not a mutex as there is no ownership. I have yet to explore that 'ownership' thing, but for now I am not able to make a simple semaphore.
What wrong I am doing here?

Answer 1

There's no actual semaphore.
This line:
static struct semaphore *sem;
creates a pointer to a semaphore, not a semaphore itself. It's almost certain initialized to NULL.
You probably want something like
static struct semaphore sem;
and therefore
sema_init( &sem, 1);
along with
up( &sem );
and
down( &sem );
Note that these calls are taking the address of an actual semaphore.