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From:   Kalle Valo <kvalo@kernel.org>
To:     Jakub Kicinski <kuba@kernel.org>
Cc:     <Ajay.Kathat@microchip.com>, <linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org>,
        <Claudiu.Beznea@microchip.com>, <Sripad.Balwadgi@microchip.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] wifi: wilc1000: change firmware path from 'atmel' to
 'microchip/wilc'
References: <20230630012136.1330784-1-ajay.kathat@microchip.com>
        <20230705140338.77896d11@kernel.org>
        <5500a007-4e52-f8dc-2535-3baa7decfe52@microchip.com>
        <20230705172754.61ca21ae@kernel.org>
Date:   Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:37:39 +0300
In-Reply-To: <20230705172754.61ca21ae@kernel.org> (Jakub Kicinski's message of
        "Wed, 5 Jul 2023 17:27:54 -0700")
Message-ID: <87cz0o2nm4.fsf@kernel.org>
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Jakub Kicinski <kuba@kernel.org> writes:

>> In order to address scenario#1, a fallback method that loads the FW from
>> the older path(/atmel) can be added in the driver. I think that change
>> will make it compatible for scenario#1.
>> Please suggest, if there is a generic/recommended approach to handle
>> backward compatibility for FW path change.
>
> I'm afraid you need to request from both new and old patch for some
> time. Push the change to linux-firmware, but make driver be compatible
> with both for maybe three full releases? Then the risk of someone still
> having stale linux-firmware goes down quite a bit.

I would say at least minimum of two years, preferably more to make it
possible to upgrade kernel on LTS distro releases.

> TBH renaming FW paths, much like renaming drivers is usually more risk
> than reward.

I agree, it's just extra work without no actually benefit. Maybe an
exception here is iwlwifi, that should be fixed as that clutters the top
level firmware directory with dozens of files:

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/tree/

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