linux-kernel - Re: [BUG] 2.6.30-rc broke ixp4xx

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Date:	Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:32:12 +0200
From:	Mikael Pettersson <mikpe@...uu.se>
To:	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>
Cc:	mikpe@...uu.se, khc@...waw.pl, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	netdev@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [BUG] 2.6.30-rc broke ixp4xx_eth, firmware breakage?

David Miller writes:
 > From: Mikael Pettersson <mikpe@...uu.se>
 > Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:53:25 +0200 (MEST)
 > 
 > > The ixp4xx_eth driver for my IXP420 XScale box (Synology DS101)
 > > worked fine in kernel 2.6.29. Now trying to boot 2.6.30-rc2 I'm
 > > greeted with the following failure during init:
 > > 
 > > Bringing up interface eth0:  RTNETLINK answers: No such file or directory
 > > Failed to bring up eth0.
 > > [FAILED]
 > > 
 > > There's a fairly long (at least 10 seconds) delay between the 'Bringing up'
 > > message and the RTNETLINK error.
 > > 
 > > A diff between the 2.6.29 and 2.6.30-rc2 boot logs indicates that
 > > the firmware doesn't get loaded:
 > 
 > Please make sure CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL is set in your
 > configuration if this driver is being built statically
 > into your kernel.

ixp4xx_eth is built as a module and I have CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL unset.

 > Otherwise, if modular, make sure the firmware files get installed into
 > the correct location and are available in the filesystem when the
 > driver loads.

The firmware isn't shipped with the kernel but is something users have to
download from Intel, build, and install themselves; once installed they work
across kernel versions. The files reside in /lib/firmware/'s top-level
directory, and they are available since firmware loading (triggered by init's
attempt to up eth0) occurs after / has been mounted. My userspace uses oldish
firmware-aware hotplug since udev's too heavy-weight.

This all works with 2.6.29 and older 2.6.2x kernels.

I'll do a bisect.
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