Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] platform: x86: dell-rbtn: Dell Airplane Mode Switch driver

[Alex Hung]

Since Windows 8 requirement asks  below, I see a trend that OEM is
moving wireless to HW-control to SW-control. That's also why some new
systems never trigger hard-blocks. I was also told that there may be
no "HW-GPIO" (my translation -> no hard-block) to control wireless in
some of future systems. I do not have any details but will share /
submit patches if this is going to impact Linux kernel.

============================================
System.Client.RadioManagement.HardwareButton
If a PC has a physical (hardware) button switch on a PC that turns
wireless radios on and off, it must be software controllable and
interact appropriately with the Radio Management UI
============================================

I don't see the kernel parameter as a workaround, either. I agree with
Gabriele that it is giving users an second option to choose how to use
the hardware they purchased.


On Wed, May 6, 2015 at 5:23 AM, Gabriele Mazzotta
<gabriele.mzt@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Thursday 30 April 2015 09:44:29 Pali RohÃr wrote:
>> On Thursday 30 April 2015 14:06:27 Alex Hung wrote:
>> > Method ABRT is to be used by driver to disable BIOS handling of radio
>> > button. So the changes in behaviours observed by Gabriele is expected.
>> > I have seen other systems behave the same way.
>> >
>>
>> Right, that after that ARBT call operating system get full control over
>> radio devices and ACPI/BIOS will not automatically enable/disable them.
>> I think this is OK.
>>
>> But for that we need also support for manually enable/disable radio
>> devices and code for this support is missing. Or do DELLABCE/RBTN acpi
>> devices somehow support enabling/disabling it via system/kernel request?
>>
>> > I do also see firmware only sends Notify(RBTN, 0x80) and no hard block
>> > whether ABRT(1) is called or not.  Thus keycode are the only option on
>> > those machines.
>> >
>>
>> Key is ok, but we *must* have ability to hard block it via some
>> ACPI/WMI/BIOS/FW/etc... call. Otherwise ARBT(1) is no go as users should
>> be able to enable/disable their radio devices (bluetooth for powersave)
>
> Does it really matter in the end? As I understand it, radio devices are
> off either way.
>
>> > The idea to have an option (kernel parameter) for calling ABRT is
>> > great. I can help verify on more machines. Is Gabriele's patch above a
>> > final version that I should test?
>> >
>>
>> No, I do not think so. This looks like hack or pure design. Kernel
>> option could be there, but just for buggy BIOSes (and future changed
>> design).
>>
>> But now it looks like for correct work is specifying that param
>> required -- which is bad.
>>
>> Alex, can you ask Dell people how should system turn off e.g bluetooth
>> or wifi device if ARTB(1) is called and system/kernel (instead ACPI) is
>> expected to turn off/on blueooth (and wifi) devices?
>>
>> I think that without this information (and working driver for it) we
>> should not enable ARTB(1) or including this driver into kernel tree as
>> it will break some existing machines...
>
> I disagree. If we skip ARBT(1), userspace will get confused on laptops
> like mine as it would receive two events: an rfkill event (because of
> the BIOS shutting down radios) and a keypress (because of Alex's patch).
> If we call ARBT(1), userspace will only receive the keypress and
> userspace will correctly handle the devices.
>
> That's why I suggested the use of a kernel parameter. It was just a way
> to allow users to choose one mode over another when they know they're
> both available. It's not something users are required to do.
>
> I believe that in the end what really matters is that when function
> keys are pressed something happens, be it the BIOS turning off radio
> devices or the kernel telling userspace to do it, but not both.
>
>> Darren, I do not know what is better, but it looks like that some dell
>> machines working fine now and some not (since begining). And after
>> loading this driver some machines are fixed, but some which worked are
>> broken... What do you think as maintainer?



-- 
Cheers,
Alex Hung
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