Re: [PATCH v2] net: add new QCA alx ethernet driver

[David Miller]

From: "Huang, Xiong" <xiong@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 06:35:40 +0000

>> This is why we require that portable, sane, interfaces are added to ethtool for
>> driver diagnostics.  That way users can perform a task in the same way
>> regardless of what hardware and driver are underneath.
> 
> I quite agree you on using ethtool to implement it. we did consider it. 
> But ethtool has some limitation, for example, the NIC has built-in OTP (TWSI interface)
> And Flash (External SPI interface),  their properties are quite different with EEPROM which
> Ethtool supports.
> To support such memory (OTP/Flash), we need additional input parameters.

Then add a new ethtool operation to support your use case, that's
exactly what I was telling you to do.

Did it really not occur to you that you perhaps you should extend
existing generic facilities to suit your needs instead of creating
private facilities that no other driver can use?

--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/