netdev - Re: [PATCH 1/2] bnx2: factor out gzip unpacker

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Date:	Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:43:40 +0100
From:	Denys Vlasenko <vda.linux@...glemail.com>
To:	Krzysztof Oledzki <olel@....pl>
Cc:	Valdis.Kletnieks@...edu, David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>,
	jeff@...zik.org, mchan@...adcom.com, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	netdev@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/2] bnx2: factor out gzip unpacker

On Friday 21 September 2007 20:33, Krzysztof Oledzki wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 21 Sep 2007, Denys Vlasenko wrote:
> 
> > On Friday 21 September 2007 19:36, Valdis.Kletnieks@...edu wrote:
> >> On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:05:23 BST, Denys Vlasenko said:
> >>
> >>> I plan to use gzip compression on following drivers' firmware,
> >>> if patches will be accepted:
> >>>
> >>>    text    data     bss     dec     hex filename
> >>>   17653  109968     240  127861   1f375 drivers/net/acenic.o
> >>>    6628  120448       4  127080   1f068 drivers/net/dgrs.o
> >>>          ^^^^^^
> >>
> >> Should this be redone to use the existing firmware loading framework to
> >> load the firmware instead?
> >
> > Not in every case.
> >
> > For example, bnx2 maintainer says that driver and
> > firmware are closely tied for his driver. IOW: you upgrade kernel
> > and your NIC is not working anymore.
>
> Firmware may come with a kernel. We have a "install modules", we can also 
> add "install firmware".

Install where? I boot my machine over NFS, and it has no hard drive.

> > Another argument is to make kernel be able to bring up NICs
> > without needing firmware images in initramfs/initrd/hard drive.
> 
> It is not possible to bring up things like FC or WiFi without firmware, 
> what special is in classic NICs?

Nothing.

It is just not (yet?) decreed from The Very Top that all and every
firmware image should be loaded using request_firmware().

Also people may want to gzip something else than firmware.
--
vda
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