Return-path: Received: from 128-177-27-249.ip.openhosting.com ([128.177.27.249]:39723 "EHLO jmalinen.user.openhosting.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1752387Ab0CLICd (ORCPT ); Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:33 -0500 Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:02:16 +0200 From: Jouni Malinen To: Holger Schurig Cc: "John W. Linville" , =?utf-8?B?R8OhYm9y?= Stefanik , "Luis R. Rodriguez" , devel@driverdev.osuosl.org, linux-wireless , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: cfg80211 conversion of all drivers Message-ID: <20100312080216.GA18550@jm.kir.nu> References: <43e72e891003111722n4b4d5b6crf764dfe357ff8965@mail.gmail.com> <69e28c911003111756h224ef6a9x622c979232b6698b@mail.gmail.com> <20100312025330.GA15402@tuxdriver.com> <201003120810.38194.holgerschurig@gmail.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii In-Reply-To: <201003120810.38194.holgerschurig@gmail.com> Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 08:10:37AM +0100, Holger Schurig wrote: > > I think that is code for "replace it with something based on mac80211"... > > That's not going to happen, hostap + orinoco both work against fullmac chips, > which can't send arbitrary packets and therefore no 802.11 management frames. The Host AP mode in Prism 2/2.5/3 provides for a somewhat special situation.. It does actually allow sending of (almost) arbitrary packets and management frames in AP mode. In other words, it should be possible to create a mac80211-based AP mode driver for Prism 2/2.5/3 to replace the AP side of the Host AP driver. Whether anyone has enough interest and time to do that is another question, though. As far as station functionality is concerned, I would agree that mac80211 is not a good target for the Host AP driver. If AP side were to be made available as a mac80211-based driver, it could make more sense to merge station side from the Host AP driver into orinoco or some kind of combination of the driver. However, having two different drivers for same hardware issue would not go anywhere with this. One of the problems here is that the hardware is question is quite old and for many practical purposes obsolete, so finding people to work on this can get difficult. I can certainly come up with much better uses for my time.. ;-) -- Jouni Malinen PGP id EFC895FA