Return-path: Received: from mail-ob0-f173.google.com ([209.85.214.173]:48405 "EHLO mail-ob0-f173.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1757775Ab3EHSMS (ORCPT ); Wed, 8 May 2013 14:12:18 -0400 Message-ID: <518A957F.1040502@lwfinger.net> (sfid-20130508_201256_790213_2325226F) Date: Wed, 08 May 2013 13:12:15 -0500 From: Larry Finger MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Greg KH CC: "H. Peter Anvin" , linux-wireless , LKML , netdev , Dan Williams , 'George0505' , Joon Ro Subject: Re: Linux driver for Realtek RTL8723AU devices with USB ID 0bda:1724 such as found in Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 References: <5159B52D.3050601@lwfinger.net> <5189B939.4010905@zytor.com> <518A7814.1070604@lwfinger.net> <20130508162350.GC28080@kroah.com> In-Reply-To: <20130508162350.GC28080@kroah.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On 05/08/2013 11:23 AM, Greg KH wrote: > On Wed, May 08, 2013 at 11:06:44AM -0500, Larry Finger wrote: >> On 05/07/2013 09:32 PM, H. Peter Anvin wrote: >>> >>> So I can verify that this driver works against 3.8.11 (not against >>> current -linus because of a build failure), and yes, there is Bluetooth >>> in this device. In fact, it seems to work better than some in-tree >>> drivers I have seen in the past. >>> >>> However, I'm confused as to the above and what it implies for the >>> purpose of the staging tree. Wasn't the whole point of the staging tree >>> to have a working-but-ugly driver upstream and have the work to clean it >>> up happen in the mainline tree instead of off somewhere. >> >> Yes, but even staging has some standards. > > I have standards? That's a first :) > >> For example, they frown on inclusion of firmware in a massive data >> block in a file in the driver - it should be in a separate file the >> /lib/firmware/ tree. > > Sure, that would be "nice", but it's not something that I should reject > a driver for, have I done that? No. You merely "recommended" that it be the #1 item in the TODO list, which forced me to fix it fairly quickly for r8712u. > >> In addition, the mainline drivers/net/wireless/ tree is only available >> to devices that use mac80211 for the software-based MAC layer. That >> conversion is a serious effort that may never be done, thus the >> 8723au driver may never leave staging. > > That's a bigger deal, but note, some drivers have done it, it is not > impossible. Most of them were in the kernel before mac80211, and have been given a pass as part of a "grandfather" clause. Unfortunately, I forgot the main reason for development in an off-line repo. I do not have one of these devices, and I have drawn the line at purchasing a $1000 Lenovo tablet just to get one. Making "small" untested changes in the off-line repo for the users to verify is a lot simpler than working through staging, no matter how accommodating you are. :) If someone wants to donate a device, that would speed up the process. Larry