Subject: Re: [PATCH 3/4] gigaset: reduce syslog clutter

From: Tilman Schmidt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:53:16 +0100

Joe Perches schrieb:
> Perhaps it'd be useful to add a ethtool/netif_msg interface
> and classify the messages as appropriate.

Interesting idea. On first glance, however, I don't see how to map the
Gigaset driver's diverse debugging categories (like USB communication
vs. V.25ter communication vs. ISDN subsystem communication) to the
NETIF_MSG_ flags in a useful way.

What's more, ethtool only seems to allow the setting of a numerical
message "level" enabling all debug flags "below" that level. It cannot
enable, for example, NETIF_MSG_TX_ERR without NETIF_MSG_PROBE. The
Gigaset driver OTOH follows the concept of individually selectable areas
of interest. In fact, I make frequent use of that ability when I help a
user with troubleshooting. For example, a typical first setting for a
user who cannot make an ISDN connection would be the value 0x102020
mentioned in the README.

OTOH, the ability to control the "non-debug" verbosity of the Gigaset
driver (ie. the messages not controlled by the "debug" parameter) with
ethtool/netif_msg might be appreciated. Perhaps that's what you had in mind?

Thanks,
Tilman