[PATCH v2 00/18] wifi: drop redundant USB device references

[Jeff Johnson]

On 3/6/2026 12:51 AM, Johan Hovold wrote:
> Driver core holds a reference to the USB interface and its parent USB
> device while the interface is bound to a driver and there is no need to
> take additional references unless the structures are needed after
> disconnect.
> 
> Drop redundant device references to reduce cargo culting, make it easier
> to spot drivers where an extra reference is needed, and reduce the risk
> of memory leaks when drivers fail to release them.
> 
> Note that I sent an ath9k patch separately here:
> 
> 	https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260305105803.17011-1-johan@kernel.org/
> 
> but I included it here in v2 for completeness.
> 
> Also note that Greg had already sent a fix for rtw88 which has been
> picked up by Ping-Ke, but who asked me to send a replacement. If an
> incremental patch is preferred I can instead send a follow up for that
> one later.
> 
> Johan
> 
> 
> Changes in v2:
>  - include ath9k, previously submitted separately
>  - include ath6kl and ath10k
>  - rename the ath6kl and ath10k disconnect callbacks
>  - fix a reference leak in rtw88 previously reported (and fixed
>    differently) by Greg
> 
> 
> Johan Hovold (18):
>   wifi: ath6kl: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: ath6kl: rename disconnect callback
>   wifi: ath9k: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: ath10k: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: ath10k: rename disconnect callback
>   wifi: at76c50x: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: libertas: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: libertas_tf: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: mwifiex: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: mt76: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: mt76x0u: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: mt76x2u: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: mt76: mt792xu: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: mt7601u: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: rt2x00: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: rtl818x: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: rtl8xxxu: drop redundant device reference
>   wifi: rtw88: fix device leak on probe failure
> 
>  drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/usb.c            |  8 ++------
>  drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/usb.c            | 16 ++++------------
>  drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c         |  4 ----
>  drivers/net/wireless/atmel/at76c50x-usb.c        | 12 ++++--------
>  drivers/net/wireless/marvell/libertas/if_usb.c   |  3 ---
>  .../net/wireless/marvell/libertas_tf/if_usb.c    |  2 --
>  drivers/net/wireless/marvell/mwifiex/usb.c       |  4 ----
>  drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7615/usb.c  |  3 ---
>  drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt76x0/usb.c  |  3 ---
>  drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt76x2/usb.c  |  4 ----
>  drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7921/usb.c  |  2 --
>  drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7925/usb.c  |  2 --
>  drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt792x_usb.c  |  1 -
>  drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt7601u/usb.c      |  3 ---
>  drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00usb.c   | 12 +-----------
>  .../net/wireless/realtek/rtl818x/rtl8187/dev.c   |  4 ----
>  drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtl8xxxu/core.c     | 11 +++--------
>  drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/usb.c         |  3 +--
>  18 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 82 deletions(-)
> 

Johannes, will you be taking the entire series via wireless-next?

Or should the individual wireless driver maintainers take their patches
through their individual trees? I'm OK either way.

/jeff