Re: [PATCH net-next v5 13/22] ethtool: provide driver/device information in GET_INFO request

[Michal Kubecek]

On Thu, Mar 28, 2019 at 10:21:26AM +0100, Jiri Pirko wrote:
> Wed, Mar 27, 2019 at 11:25:54PM CET, mkubecek@xxxxxxx wrote:
> >
> >I'm all for implementing new features which are are related to physical
> >device (ASIC) rather than network interface only in devlink (at the
> >level of kernel-userspace interface). But for features already provided
> >by ethtool (userspace utility) I can't help seeing the state of devlink
> >support in NIC drivers as a serious blocker.
> 
> What I'm thinking about at for some time now would be en explicit
> default devlink and devlink_port registration for every netdev for
> drivers that does not support devlink themselves. I need to think about
> it more, but it seems doable. Then we can hang appropriate things there
> and make the ethtoolnl/devlink separation clear. I believe we need to do
> it.

That sounds great, such "generic devlink" implementation would be a way
around. Kernel could then emulate features which are not implemented by
an actual devlink handler (i.e. "generic devlink" is used or particular
handler is missing) by falling back to ethtool_ops handler so that
userspace could rely on devlink API for things like device information,
various dumps, flashing etc. without losing anything.

Michal