Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next v7 15/16] net: ethtool: ts: Let the active time stamping layer be selectable

From: Jakub Kicinski <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2023 10:01:42 -0800

On Wed, 22 Nov 2023 18:55:17 +0200 Vladimir Oltean wrote:
> > Well, ethtool has been the catch all for a lot of random things
> > for the longest time. The question is whether we want to extend
> > ETHTOOL_GET_TS_INFO or add a third API somewhere else. And if we
> > do - do we also duplicate the functionality of ETHTOOL_GET_TS_INFO
> > (i.e. getting capabilities)?
> > 
> > My vote is that keeping it in ethtool is less bad than 3rd API.  
> 
> With SIOCSHWTSTAMP also implemented by CAN (and presumably also by
> wireless in the future), I do wonder whether ethtool is the right place
> for the netlink conversion.

ethtool currently provides the only way we have to configure ring
length, ring count, RSS, UDP tunnels etc.

It's a matter of taste, IMO ethtool is a bit of a lost cause already
and keeping things together (ethtool already has TS_INFO) is cleaner
than spreading them around.

> I wouldn't suggest duplicating ETHTOOL_GET_TS_INFO towards the netdev
> netlink family.

FTR so far the netdev family is all about SW configuration. We should
probably keep it that way, so it doesn't become ginormous. It's easy
enough to create a new family, if needed.