Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1754698AbYGGHxo (ORCPT ); Mon, 7 Jul 2008 03:53:44 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1750827AbYGGHxh (ORCPT ); Mon, 7 Jul 2008 03:53:37 -0400 Received: from wavehammer.waldi.eu.org ([82.139.201.20]:53935 "EHLO wavehammer.waldi.eu.org" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1750729AbYGGHxg (ORCPT ); Mon, 7 Jul 2008 03:53:36 -0400 Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 09:53:34 +0200 From: Bastian Blank To: Michael Chan Cc: "'David Woodhouse'" , "linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org" Subject: Re: [PATCH] bnx2 - use request_firmware() Message-ID: <20080707075333.GA13723@wavehammer.waldi.eu.org> Mail-Followup-To: Bastian Blank , Michael Chan , 'David Woodhouse' , "linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org" References: <1215251041.3189.69.camel@shinybook.infradead.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.17+20080114 (2008-01-14) Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1874 Lines: 43 On Sun, Jul 06, 2008 at 09:21:21PM -0700, Michael Chan wrote: > I cannot sign off on this until I understand more about the impact > of this change. The change is targeted for the firmware tree. The firmware tree seperates the firmwares from the driver _within_ the kernel tree. Both parts are still shipped in the same tree. The driver themself is modified to use request_firmware. If the driver is builtin the kernel, the firmware is appended to vmlinux where request_firmware is able to find them. If it is built as a module the firmware is copied into /lib/firmware during installation where the famous hotplug handler can find it. So the impact is that you need a hotplug handler in the module case. Most of the modern wireless cards drivers (e.g. b43, iwl*) needs them anyway. My patch does not yet include the firmware move within the tree because it would make the patch really large. Will do that. > Unlike the tg3 firmware which hasn't changed for at > least 4 or 5 years, the bnx2 firmware is constantly changing and it > has to match the driver. For example, we'll be adding multi-tx ring > to the driver soon and it will require the feature in the firmware. Thats why the firmware files got a "version" string included. You can change it for incompatible changes in the firmware. Your workflow will not change drastically. You still can modify the firmware and the source in one tree. Also it is not that uncommon that you need to update firmwares for new kernel versions in other devices. Bastian -- Fascinating, a totally parochial attitude. -- Spock, "Metamorphosis", stardate 3219.8 -- 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/