Subject: Re: [PATCH] net-sysfs: allow changing sysfs carrier when interface is down

From: Jakub Kicinski <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2022 10:52:15 -0700

On Thu, 2 Jun 2022 17:15:13 +0000 Joakim Tjernlund wrote:
> > What is "our HW", what kernel driver does it use and why can't the
> > kernel driver take care of making sure the device is not accessed
> > when it'd crash the system?  
> 
> It is a custom asic with some homegrown controller. The full config path is too complex for kernel too
> know and depends on user input.

We have a long standing tradition of not caring about user space
drivers in netdev land. I see no reason to merge this patch upstream.

> > > Maybe so but it seems to me that this limitation was put in place without much thought.  
> > 
> > Don't make unnecessary disparaging statements about someone else's work.
> > Whoever that person was.  
> 
> That was not meant the way you read it, sorry for being unclear.
> The commit from 2012 simply says:
> net: allow to change carrier via sysfs
>     
>     Make carrier writable

Yeah, IIUC the interface was created for software devices.