RE: [EXTERNAL] Re: [PATCH net-next] octeon_ep: add ndo ops for VFs in PF driver

[Shinas Rasheed]

Hi Simon,

On Thu, Nov 07, 2024 at 04:16:37AM -0800, Shinas Rasheed wrote:
>> These APIs are needed to support applicaitons that use netlink to get VF
>> information from a PF driver.
>> 
>> Signed-off-by: Shinas Rasheed <mailto:srasheed@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>...
>
>> +static int octep_set_vf_vlan(struct net_device *dev, int vf, u16 vlan, u8 qos, __be16 vlan_proto)
>> +{
>> +	struct octep_device *oct = netdev_priv(dev);
>> +
>> +	dev_err(&oct->pdev->dev, "Setting VF VLAN not supported\n");>
>> +	return 0;
>> +}
>
>Hi Shinas,
>
>Given that the operation is not supported I think it would
>be more appropriate to return -EOPNOTSUPP. And moreover, given
>that this is a noop, I think it would be yet more appropriate
>not to implement it at all and let the core treat it as not supported.
>
>Likewise for other NDOs implemented as noops in this patch.
>
>...

I think the problem was for some userspace programs and operators, sometimes returning -EOPNOTSUPP is a no-go. I think the idea was at least if the user saw these messages, they would know to
set it in some other way, and also not have the operator stop just because setting these values failed. Though I understand that’s counter-intuitive, but sometimes it lets operators work and go ahead. What do you think so?

Thanks for the comments!