netdev - Re: Should "N/A" dust bunnies be swept from fw

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Message-Id: <20111118.141046.1309959676401370888.davem@davemloft.net>
Date:	Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:10:46 -0500 (EST)
From:	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>
To:	rick.jones2@...com
Cc:	netdev@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Should "N/A" dust bunnies be swept from fw_version?

From: Rick Jones <rick.jones2@...com>
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:09:48 -0800

> On 11/17/2011 04:19 PM, Ben Hutchings wrote:
>> On Thu, 2011-11-17 at 15:27 -0800, Rick Jones wrote:
>>> In the discussion on "enable virtio_net to return bus_info in ethtool
>>> -i
>>> consistent with emulated NICs" Ben Hutchings had the following
>>> feedback
>>> on what might go into bus_info:
>>>
>>>> Please use the existing 'not implemented' value, which is the empty
>>>> string.  If you think ethtool should print some helpful message
>>>> instead
>>>> of an empty string, please submit a patch for ethtool.
>>>
>>> When I was sweeping in the .get_drvinfo routines, I noticed many
>>> drivers
>>> would return "N/A" for fw_version - presumably they were drivers for
>>> cards without firmware.  Should those be removed to have the
>>> fw_version
>>> be the empty string, or should those sleeping dust bunnies be allowed
>>> to
>>> lie?
>>
>> I much prefer the empty string; the ethtool utility can turn that into
>> a
>> user-friendly placeholder if it's considered confusing.
> 
> Any other opinions out there?  Anyone? Anyone?-)

I agree with Ben, just provide the empty string.
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