Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next v2 04/10] net: phy: Automatically fill the generic TP, FIBRE and Backplane modes

From: Andrew Lunn <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2019 15:09:39 +0100

On Thu, Feb 07, 2019 at 10:49:33AM +0100, Maxime Chevallier wrote:
> PHY advertised and supported linkmodes contain both specific modes such
> as 1000BASET Half/Full and generic ones such as TP that represent a
> class of modes.
> 
> Since some modes such as Fibre, TP or Backplane match a wide range of
> specific modes, we can automatically set these bits if one of the
> specific modes it corresponds to is present in the list.
> 
> The 'TP' bit is set whenever there's a BaseT linkmode in
> phydev->supported.
> 
> The 'FIBRE' bit is set for BaseL, BaseS and BaseE linkmodes.
> 
> Finally, the 'Backplane' is set whenever a BaseK mode is supported.

Hi Maxime

Interesting idea.

But what exactly are we supposed to be representing here?  That PHY
can do these modes, or that the port exists on the device? The
marvell10g can do fibre, but do all boards have an SFP/SFF, or do some
only have an RJ-45 for TP? Are there boards without TP and just
SFP/SFF?

Is there documentation in ethtool which gives a clue as to what is
expected?

Thanks
	Andrew