Re: [PATCH v2 5/5] ARM: tegra: enable brcmfmac in defconfig

[Arend van Spriel]

On 09/21/2012 06:19 PM, Stephen Warren wrote:
> On 09/21/2012 08:39 AM, Arend van Spriel wrote:
> > On 09/21/2012 10:55 AM, Wei Ni wrote:
> > > New options enabled:
> > > * CFG80211_WEXT: (dependency)
> > > * BRCMFMAC: wlan driver, enable as module.
> > >
> > > Signed-off-by: Wei Ni <wni@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > > ---
> > >    arch/arm/configs/tegra_defconfig |    2 ++
> > >    1 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
> > >
> > > diff --git a/arch/arm/configs/tegra_defconfig
> > > b/arch/arm/configs/tegra_defconfig
> > > index adcf3c2..04b18ea 100644
> > > --- a/arch/arm/configs/tegra_defconfig
> > > +++ b/arch/arm/configs/tegra_defconfig
> > > @@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ CONFIG_BT_BNEP=y
> > >    CONFIG_BT_HIDP=y
> > >    CONFIG_BT_HCIBTUSB=m
> > >    CONFIG_CFG80211=y
> > > +CONFIG_CFG80211_WEXT=y
> >
> > Any particular reason for enabling this? The driver does not
> > specifically need it. The option only allows use of WEXT dependent
> > user-space tools like iwconfig and iwlist. At least it is not needed by
> > brcmfmac driver hence it does not select it.
> >
> > You indicate there is a dependency. Could you elaborate?
>
> "Dependency" probably isn't correct.
>
> However, the intent of tegra_defconfig is to provide a useful
> configuration for Tegra boards. Without the ability to use
> iwconfig/iwlist, enabling the wireless driver doesn't seem useful; how
> would someone configure the wireless connection?

Let me explain. CFG80211 provides a netlink api called NL80211 which is 
favorable over WEXT api. In user-space the iw tool is replacing iwconfig 
and iwlist. Also wpa_supplicant has support for both wext and nl80211.

CFG80211_WEXT basically provides an adaptation/compatibility layer that 
allows user-space tools to interact with cfg80211 drivers. However, it 
is intended to be phased out so I would not recommend putting it in a 
defconfig.

Gr. AvS


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