Return-Path: MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <201304051903.11215.chunkeey@googlemail.com> References: <201304051903.11215.chunkeey@googlemail.com> Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2013 19:23:54 +0200 Message-ID: Subject: Re: Version number policy! From: Eugene Krasnikov To: Christian Lamparter Cc: "Luis R. Rodriguez" , linux-bluetooth , Adrian Chadd , linux-wireless , ath9k_htc_fw , "linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Sender: linux-bluetooth-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: Good point regarding timestamp. When it comes to feature bitmap do you have an example of such a bitmap from carl9170? Why not to rely always on major version? 2013/4/5 Christian Lamparter : > On Friday 05 April 2013 10:19:00 Luis R. Rodriguez wrote: >> On Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 11:27 AM, Adrian Chadd wrote: >> > Here's my first take on the version number policy: >> > >> > https://github.com/qca/open-ath9k-htc-firmware/wiki/VersionPolicy >> > The summary: >> > >> > * major version number changes are for firmware API / behaviour >> > changes that aren't backwards compatible; >> > * minor version number changes are for firmware API / behaviour >> > changes that are incremental and default to the old behaviour (eg, new >> > optional commands); >> > * the driver should check the minor version number before using any >> > optional features with that version. >> > >> > What's TODO: >> > >> > * Add a new WMI command to get the build number, git string, etc. >> > * add it as our first optional minor version command :-) >> >> This is better than anything we had drafted before for 802.11 open >> firmware design rules. Cc'ing a few lists for wider review given that >> what we had written before for rules was for 802.11 and Bluetooth [0] >> and it was very Linux specific. We are striving for open firmware here >> for the community, for BSD / Linux. Christian would have dealt with >> more of the support on open firmware design so far due to carl9170.fw >> [1] so curious if he has any input. > Based on my experience with carl9170, I can tell you that > new stuff (new wmi commands, or advanced offload caps, features > and bugfixes) should be advised via feature flags in bitmaps > and not firmware versions. [Just make it long enough...] > > Otherwise you'll have to write endless checks like: > if ((fw_minor == 1 && fw_patch > 30) || > (fw_minor == 2 && fw_patch > 7) || > (fw_minor == 3 && fw_patch > 3) || > (fw_minor > 4)) > feature_supported = true; > > everytime you backport features and bugfixes to older firmwares. > > Also, firmware dates are more important than you think. > They allow some way of syncing the firmware->driver and > your inbox. > > Regards, > Christian > > _______________________________________________ > Ath9k_htc_fw mailing list > Ath9k_htc_fw@lists.infradead.org > http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/ath9k_htc_fw -- Best regards, Eugene