Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next] net: vxge: Add MODULE_FIRMWARE

From: Ben Hutchings <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:56:55 +0100

On Thu, 2012-04-12 at 14:34 -0600, Tim Gardner wrote:
> Cc: Jon Mason <[email-masked]>
> Cc: [email-masked]
> Signed-off-by: Tim Gardner <[email-masked]>
> ---
>  drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c |    2 ++
>  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c
> index 51387c3..dcef72d 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c
> @@ -4856,3 +4856,5 @@ vxge_closer(void)
>  }
>  module_init(vxge_starter);
>  module_exit(vxge_closer);
> +MODULE_FIRMWARE("vxge/X3fw-pxe.ncf");
> +MODULE_FIRMWARE("vxge/X3fw.ncf");

I don't agree; these firmware files are updates for the flash and only
need to be loaded once.

Also: this driver's behaviour of automatically updating flash without
any confirmation seems quite dangerous.  The driver also isn't usable
after it performs such an update:

	printk(KERN_NOTICE "Upgrade of firmware successful!  Adapter must be "
	       "hard reset before using, thus requiring a system reboot or a "
	       "hotplug event.\n");

So what is the point of integrating firmware update into the driver at
all?

Ben.

-- 
Ben Hutchings
It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.