linux-kernel - Re: [17/26] b43: refuse to load unsupported firmware

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Message-ID: <1321723330.2885.145.camel@deadeye>
Date:	Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:22:10 +0000
From:	Ben Hutchings <ben@...adent.org.uk>
To:	Greg KH <gregkh@...e.de>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, stable@...r.kernel.org,
	greg@...ah.com, torvalds@...ux-foundation.org,
	akpm@...ux-foundation.org, alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk,
	linux-wireless@...r.kernel.org, b43-dev@...ts.infradead.org,
	roman-vl@...a.ua,
	Rafał Miłecki <zajec5@...il.com>
Subject: Re: [17/26] b43: refuse to load unsupported firmware

On Fri, 2011-11-18 at 16:02 -0800, Greg KH wrote:
> 3.1-stable review patch.  If anyone has any objections, please let me know.
> 
> ------------------
> 
> [This patch is supposed to be applied in 3.1 (and maybe older) branches only.]
> 
> New kernels support newer firmware that users may try to incorrectly use
> with older kernels. Display error and explain the problem in such a case
> 
> Signed-off-by: RafaÅ MiÅecki <zajec5@...il.com>
> Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...e.de>
> 
> ---
>  drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c |    7 +++++++
>  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
> 
> --- a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c
> @@ -2508,6 +2508,13 @@ static int b43_upload_microcode(struct b
>  		b43_print_fw_helptext(dev->wl, 1);
>  		err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
>  		goto error;
> +	} else if (fwrev >= 598) {
> +		b43err(dev->wl, "YOUR FIRMWARE IS TOO NEW. Support for "
> +		       "firmware 598 and up requires kernel 3.2 or newer. You "
> +		       "have to install older firmware or upgrade kernel.\n");
> +		b43_print_fw_helptext(dev->wl, 1);
> +		err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
> +		goto error;
[...]

Again, I strongly object to this way of handling the incompatibility.
The revision check is fine, but the solution must be to assign a
different filename for the newer revisions.  The changes to 3.0/3.1
should be deferred until this is resolved.

Ben.

-- 
Ben Hutchings
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