Re: [GIT *] Allow request_firmware() to be satisfied from in-kernel,use it in more drivers.

From: Jeff Garzik
Date: Tue Jul 15 2008 - 15:14:49 EST


Theodore Tso wrote:
On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 02:44:46PM -0400, Jeff Garzik wrote:
All of the regressions examples I am citing are cured by firmware-in-module, because they are all examples of problems that occur when you remove the ability to reproduce the same functional pieces as 2.6.26.

Jeff,

I think you've said this before, but let me try to help you
cut to the chase. You are willing to *implement*
firmware-in-the-module for request_firmware(), but you want a
commitment that David Woodhouse and Linus will accept such a patch
before you go off and write it. Is that right?

If so, may I suggest you start implementing, instead of
sending e-mails? For all the time people have spent arguing about it,
maybe it could have been implemented already.

Already started, in fact, since Linus said he would not reject it out of hands.

Obviously that is not acceptance; I know as well as any that acceptance does not occur until the moment of upstream merge.


Once it has been implemented, do you have any further
objections aka ideas about how request_firmware() could be improved?

Further objections? None major.

The two other minor problems I feel need solving, but are not related to breakage or regressions, are:

1) firmware should be able to live alongside the driver. We don't need to start growing firmware/net alongside drivers/net, firmware/scsi alongside drivers/scsi, firmware/char alongside drivers/char, etc.

2) firmware should be able to be shipped in final format (binary), rather than ihex.


I feel strongly that 2.6.27 should not be released without firmware-in-module, for all the reasons mentioned in these threads. It's a major regression, IMO, without firmware-in-module ability.

The other stuff (#1, #2 in list above) is small potatoes.

Jeff



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