linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH net-next 0/4] r8152: firmware support

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-Id: <20140824.212614.2300459100680592586.davem@davemloft.net>
Date:	Sun, 24 Aug 2014 21:26:14 -0700 (PDT)
From:	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>
To:	hayeswang@...ltek.com
Cc:	netdev@...r.kernel.org, nic_swsd@...ltek.com,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, linux-usb@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next 0/4] r8152: firmware support

From: Hayes Wang <hayeswang@...ltek.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 03:43:04 +0000

>  From: David Miller [mailto:davem@...emloft.net] 
> [...]
>> You haven't told us why you need to do this.
>> 
>> These are just programming registers in the chip, and I see no reason
>> to not keep these in the driver with real code.
>> 
>> I'm not applying this series, you haven't explained what is happening
>> here and the reason for doing so.  Ironically, that's exactly what you
>> are supposed to provide in this 0/4 header email.
> 
> The nic has the MCU inside which is used to fix the PHY,
> MAC, and some behavior of the USB device. Each parts have
> different methods of updating the firmware by accessing the
> registers. The firmware files are used to deal with the
> processes, so I need some functions to parse the firmware
> files to update the fimrware code.

That still doesn't convince me.

The functions I see you removing are just programming a set of
registers in some way.

And the firmware that is replacing those functions is just going to be
causing the same register writes, just even more obfuscated than it is
now.

You should keep the C functions which document and show clearly what
is being programmed in each chip.

Don't hide register programming behind firmware files, please.
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/