Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1423046AbWAMWcL (ORCPT ); Fri, 13 Jan 2006 17:32:11 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1423044AbWAMWcK (ORCPT ); Fri, 13 Jan 2006 17:32:10 -0500 Received: from sipsolutions.net ([66.160.135.76]:37137 "EHLO sipsolutions.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1423041AbWAMWcI (ORCPT ); Fri, 13 Jan 2006 17:32:08 -0500 Subject: Re: wireless: recap of current issues (configuration) From: Johannes Berg To: netdev@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: <20060113221935.GJ16166@tuxdriver.com> References: <20060113195723.GB16166@tuxdriver.com> <20060113212605.GD16166@tuxdriver.com> <20060113213011.GE16166@tuxdriver.com> <20060113221935.GJ16166@tuxdriver.com> Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha1; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="=-RADtLkFmpaw1z7cysBCk" Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 23:32:02 +0100 Message-Id: <1137191522.2520.63.camel@localhost> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Evolution 2.4.2.1 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 3429 Lines: 76 --=-RADtLkFmpaw1z7cysBCk Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable [since none our replies made it to the lists, here mine are again. apologies to those who see it twice, just skip it, I only pasted my previous replies] > Virtual devices will have a mode (e.g. station, AP, WDS, ad-hoc, rfmon, > raw?, other modes?) which defines its "on the air" behaviour. Should > this mode be fixed when the wlan device is created? Or something > that can be changed when the net_device is down? IMHO there's not much point in allowing changes. I have a feeling that might create icky issues you don't want to have to tackle when the solution is easy by just not allowing it. Part of my thinking is that different virtual types have different structures associated, so changing it needs re-creating structures anyway. And different virtual device types might even be provided by different kernel modules so you don't carry around AP mode if you don't need it. > Do "global" config requests go to any associated wlan device? > Or must they be directed to the WiPHY device? Does it matter? > I think we should require "global" configuration to target the WiPHY > device, while "local" configuration remains with the wlan device. > (I'm not sure how important this point is?) Right [global config targets wiphy]. I do think this is an important UI issue that userspace will have to tackle, but I think the correct way for the kernel is to surface this issue instead of creating workarounds. > Either way, the WiPHY > device will need some way to be able to reject configuration requests > that are incompatible among its associated wlan devices. Since the > wlan interface implementations should not be device specific, perhaps > the 802.11 stack can be smart enough to filter-out most conflicting > config requests before they get to the WiPHY device? I'm not sure this is worth it. While putting this into the WiPHY device creates more logic there, putting knowledge like 'how many different channels can this WiPHY device support' etc. into some representation that can be used by the stack to decide is much more trouble than it is worth. johannes --=-RADtLkFmpaw1z7cysBCk Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name=signature.asc Content-Description: This is a digitally signed message part -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Comment: Johannes Berg (SIP Solutions) iQIVAwUAQ8gqX6Vg1VMiehFYAQL+PRAAs7JIxUCwh+yw+O7t7KU0v2e6uwE+ZZem fIqI+Z9DF/UH21lUhXqzfjueSZXJecZXEJk7XoWo8VHLCPmx0FOD0MJnUYJ3jqE+ BX/ZSWP1cVU9H1jbnC1gudh4LhGz1B+5Mpg1ntAbmaydDDSLidPTEeyD5i0D/iMR Mr0m8qcD+Ld72pQ3ZarSi8rZM6Rgv7n4QSWpxUOE+mFsPdzC56OorIAfkvpPampT qTCa0Z9EJFEvdHtC/fjBCpxe1C62bMCciJ5AwbSTjoaxw+sdhutSA8+GiisR2xiE /m0X1qve5ST+mN5LivkU3KCVpufcQ52wQ4sX5kMrp1DGaqiu78RWXylVWWanerrf GYtEQFlRxJVA/WpM1pQodRiHoQrK1deIY6d8p/kN7VbxHa8HcHkeDrSruRpyejyh hbIrOmHoYll41UPa7RVlMmwEuDp1nRNYz0iK5BqIpMS3qgICn/rhDUVQ3140HwSQ SxdTtVWKn7EOtbSeFf3Useq0Kq3+p1yEl4dRCKQcbePN7xpJNw0PbSOxS+gQWZzs T4G6f7evWv6U7QE6VDKKdNpx/vcye8/YuPLsAsC7jULtQErxzvGtHDJyxKb9YI8k 7UDSJgjYJXmfymXkFyrQ8j3jQwR65Rm5aQSAwpnyD8SUgTUQtRxpxmFJz8UYycGg kigqMqtZag8= =nmN4 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --=-RADtLkFmpaw1z7cysBCk-- - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/