To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
From: Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@osdl.org>
Subject: Re: sk98lin
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 10:18:43 -0800
Organization: OSDL
Message-ID: <20060112101843.0b0e159f@dxpl.pdx.osdl.net>
References: <20060112180048.8A18EBC32@mx.dtiltas.lt>
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On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 20:01:43 +0200
Nerijus Baliunas <nerijus@users.sourceforge.net> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> Why a newer driver (http://www.marvell.com/drivers/upload/install-8_28.tar.bz2,
> it's v8.28.1.3, while kernel has v6.23) is not integrated into kernel?
> Because of no one submitted it or does it have some problems?

It was submitted, but has several problems:
  * wasn't done as small pieces; too much whole sale replacement
  * ignored all the bugfixes and work that went into the mainline kernel
  * merges support for two kinds of hardware in one driver

Also, it increases the amount of vendor ugly code; the sk98lin driver
would probably not be accepted today.

While developing the skge and sky2 driver I discovered more problems and
those got fixed in the mainline sk98lin driver. The vendor version has
issues like:
  * does NAPI but has interrupts disabled
  * has a watchdog routine to mask off all the bugs they never managed
    to fix.
  * sets PCI-express parameters to benchmark values that cause
    random hangs and data corruption

That is why I wouldn't recommend the vendor version for any production
systems.

> Because w/o it some newer cards are not recognized
> (Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8050 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 17)
> for example).
> 
> Regards,
> Nerijus
> -
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-- 
Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@osdl.org>
OSDL http://developer.osdl.org/~shemminger
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