linux-kernel - Re: firmware: new "platform microcode" warning in v3.13-rc1+

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Date:	Tue, 24 Dec 2013 15:32:17 +0100
From:	Takashi Iwai <tiwai@...e.de>
To:	Ming Lei <ming.lei@...onical.com>
Cc:	Paul Bolle <pebolle@...cali.nl>,
	Neil Horman <nhorman@...driver.com>,
	Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
	Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: firmware: new "platform microcode" warning in v3.13-rc1+

At Tue, 24 Dec 2013 09:15:09 +0800,
Ming Lei wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> On Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 1:32 AM, Paul Bolle <pebolle@...cali.nl> wrote:
> > 0) Booting v3.13-rc1 and v3.13-rc2 triggers two new warnings on an
> > (outdated, I'm afraid) ThinkPad X41:
> >     [...]
> >     <6>[   16.746119] libipw: 802.11 data/management/control stack, git-1.1.13
> >     <6>[   16.746125] libipw: Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Intel Corporation <jketreno@...ux.intel.com>
> >     <4>[   16.761998] platform microcode: Direct firmware load failed with error -2
> >     <4>[   16.762022] platform microcode: Falling back to user helper
> >     <6>[   16.787885] ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.2.2kmprq
> >     <6>[   16.787895] ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation
> >     <6>[   16.788741] ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Network Connection
> >     [...]
> >
> > (I've added the surrounding lines because they suggest this is about the
> > firmware for that wireless device. Please note that this device appears
> > to work no worse than it did under v3.12.)
> >
> > 1) These warnings can be traced back to commit 3e358ac2bb5b ("firmware:
> > Be a bit more verbose about direct firmware loading failure").
> 
> Yes, the warning was introduced in the commit since Neil thought it
> is needed.

The current behavior isn't much useful as is, unfortunately.  It just
warns that the firmware loading failed, but it doesn't tell you
*which* firmware failed.

> > 2) Is there something I'm supposed to do to silence these warnings? If
> > so, what would that be? If not, can these messages perhaps be downgraded
> > to dev_info or dev_notice?
> 
> Currently the messages are dumped via dev_warn(), and it is a bit difficult
> to make policy about the warning: sounds like Neil need them, and you
> don't like them, :-)

IMO, dev_warning() is too much in a case like Intel wifi driver.  It
retries with different firmware revision when the latest firmware
doesn't exist, so the missing firmware isn't always a problem.


Takashi
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