Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1759924AbXEPKsi (ORCPT ); Wed, 16 May 2007 06:48:38 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1757046AbXEPKs2 (ORCPT ); Wed, 16 May 2007 06:48:28 -0400 Received: from out1.smtp.messagingengine.com ([66.111.4.25]:35064 "EHLO out1.smtp.messagingengine.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1755169AbXEPKs1 (ORCPT ); Wed, 16 May 2007 06:48:27 -0400 X-Sasl-enc: LSNB8r144nQPQDHat5O0/3trsYH4K8jNBp0n6+U4WIzD 1179312505 Message-ID: <464AE10E.7090606@whitby.id.au> Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 20:16:38 +0930 From: Rod Whitby User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.10 (Windows/20070221) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Lennert Buytenhek CC: Christoph Hellwig , Tomasz Chmielewski , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-arm-kernel@lists.arm.linux.org.uk, netdev@vger.kernel.org, Michael Jones , Krzysztof Halasa Subject: Re: [PATCH] Intel IXP4xx network drivers v.2 - Ethernet and HSS References: <464034CF.20700@wpkg.org> <20070516071300.GB14222@infradead.org> <20070516094100.GB16262@xi.wantstofly.org> In-Reply-To: <20070516094100.GB16262@xi.wantstofly.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2181 Lines: 45 Lots of people wrote: > Lots of huffing and puffing about endian support by this driver ... For what it's worth, the NSLU2-Linux project (which has over 10,000 known users of our custom ixp4xx firmware, most of which will eventually be users of this new driver) is *endian-neutral*. We support both big-endian and little-endian usage of the ixp4xx in a number of consumer devices like the NSLU2, NAS100d, DSMG600, and FSG3. We are very interested in getting this driver into mainline in the most expedient and correct fashion acceptable to the relevant mainline maintainers. We have also discussed this situation with the author of the previous set of ixp4xx open-source ethernet driver patches, and he also recommends that we put our support behind this new set of patches. So, if the author of these patches wishes to concentrate on big-endian support first, then we will not say (and have not said) anything which will block inclusion of a big-endian only version of this driver. In parallel to this initial upstream push, we will be working with the author to make sure that this driver supports little-endian devices as well (as we are endian-neutral in our project's support of consumer devices based on the ixp4xx). If we get this done before upstream acceptance of the big-endian version, that will be great. If we don't, then we'll work to hit the next merge window. We will create a functionally correct little-endian version first (the simple byte-swapping implementation) and will work on a performance-enhanced version later (if that is even possible without prohibitive massive upstream changes). There simply is no reason for everyone to be arguing about this. Remember that what we are seeing here is an open-source replacement for a long-time proprietary driver. We should all rejoice in that, support the author of these patches, and not fight amongst ourselves. -- Rod Whitby -- NSLU2-Linux Project Lead - 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/