Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1758012AbYGOQmk (ORCPT ); Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:42:40 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1753693AbYGOQmc (ORCPT ); Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:42:32 -0400 Received: from smtp1.linux-foundation.org ([140.211.169.13]:57217 "EHLO smtp1.linux-foundation.org" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1753611AbYGOQmb (ORCPT ); Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:42:31 -0400 Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:41:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Linus Torvalds To: david@lang.hm cc: Frans Pop , jeff@garzik.org, arjan@infradead.org, akpm@linux-foundation.org, dwmw2@infradead.org, alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [GIT *] Allow request_firmware() to be satisfied from in-kernel, use it in more drivers. In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: <1216077806.27455.85.camel@shinybook.infradead.org> <20080714164119.99c33d5b.akpm@linux-foundation.org> <20080714165956.7fe2d4ee@infradead.org> <487C0365.5030203@garzik.org> <487C0365.5030203@garzik.org> <200807151757.10626.elendil@planet.nl> User-Agent: Alpine 1.10 (LFD 962 2008-03-14) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1544 Lines: 36 On Tue, 15 Jul 2008, david@lang.hm wrote: > > David W has made it very clear that the eventual intent of this patch series > is to remove all firmware from the kernel tree and have it shipped as a > seperate package. I don't think that kind of black-and-white model is necessarily attainable. Nor do I think it's even _good_. It's probably the right thign for _some_ firmware, assuming we have models that just make it easy enough - for drivers where it's generally better for distros to get the firmware from vendors rather than the kernel. But there is certainly nothing inherently good in forcing a split. I think both sides here need to calm down and stop being so extreme. I do want request_firmware() to be the way to load firmware (and possibly other configuration data too, for that matter - I don't think it's necessarily wrong for people to "misuse" it for other long-term data despite the name), and I do want people to be able to update firmware easily without having to force a kernel bump, but I also don't think it means that firmware has to go away from the kernel sources. So I think the _infrastructure_ is important. But the extreme "you have to split it off entirely" mindset is equally as stupid as the "you must compile it into the module" mindset. Linus -- 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/