airo and firmware upload (was Re: 2.6 must-fix list, v3)

From: Jeff Garzik (jgarzik@pobox.com)
Date: Wed May 14 2003 - 17:06:36 EST


Jean Tourrilhes wrote:
> o get the latest airo.c fixes from CVS. This will hopefully
> fix problems people have reported on the LKML.

please beg Javier to split up his patch. He sends me a _huge_ patch
with tons of changes each time. If I object to one thing, we spin in
another huge-patch loop... :/

Sending me 20, 50, 100 patches to the same file is ok. Even encouraged.

> o get HostAP driver in the kernel. No consolidation of the
> 802.11 management across driver can happen until this one is in (which
> is probably 2.7.X material). I think Jouni is mostly ready but didn't
> find time for it.

yeah, there are many requests for this one

> o The last two drivers mentioned above are held up by firmware
> issues (see flamewar on LKML a few days ago). So maybe fixing those
> firmware issues should be a requirement for 2.6.X, because we can
> expect more wireless devices to need firmware upload at startup coming
> to market.

> As this firmware business seems to me not a wireless specific
> issue (see for example drivers/scsi/qlogicfc_asm.c or
> drivers/atm/atmsar11.data), I would prefer a generic solution to that
> problem, either saying it's OK to put firmware in the kernel (with
> proper licensing) or providing working technical solutions.

We need firmware upload, and, firmware _should_ be uploaded from userspace.

All someone needs to do is actually write the code for their driver to
receive firmware from userspace, and the rest is easy. A working
technical solution is obvious, it just needs interested parties to
implement.

We can upload firmware from initrd, if no boot device is available at
the time.

        Jeff

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