netdev - Re: [PATCH 1/1] net: core: 'ethtool' issue with querying phy settings

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Date:	Tue, 02 Jun 2015 01:57:28 +0100
From:	Ben Hutchings <ben@...adent.org.uk>
To:	Arun Parameswaran <aparames@...adcom.com>
Cc:	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	bcm-kernel-feedback-list@...adcom.com, rjui@...adcom.com,
	sbranden@...adcom.com, jdzheng@...adcom.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/1] net: core: 'ethtool' issue with querying phy
 settings

On Mon, 2015-06-01 at 16:53 -0700, Arun Parameswaran wrote:
> On 15-06-01 02:46 PM, David Miller wrote:
> > From: Arun Parameswaran <aparames@...adcom.com>
> > Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2015 14:41:43 -0700
> > 
> >> It would be nice for the 'ethtool' to be flexible to support querying
> >> specific PHY irrespective of the net implementation, but that is being
> >> discussed in the other thread.
> > 
> > Please stop arguing about this, it isn't valid.
> > 
> > Your device is a switch, and therefore needs to be represented properly
> > with the proper number of net_device objects.
> > 
> > Even more importantly, the ethtool API is established and you cannot
> > change these semantics without potentially breaking lots of applications
> > and libraries out there.
> > 
> > Your change is reverted, and I will absolutely not entertain any
> > attempt to again change the semantics of this ethtool operation.
> > 
> > Thanks.
> > 
> I apologize if the patch broke any conventions, it was not my intend. I
> understand the implications on other programs that use the interface.
> 
> Just so that I don’t make this mistake in the future and to understand this
> better, does this mean that the 'phyad' parameter specified in the
> 'ethtool' command line is ignored ?

There are some very old Ethernet cards where the driver can't
automatically detect which PHY address to use, or where the MAC can be
attached to one of several different PHYs.  This is what the 'phyad'
parameter is used for.  I think the only remaining driver that supports
changing the PHY address like this is natsemi.

Ben.

-- 
Ben Hutchings
The obvious mathematical breakthrough [to break modern encryption] would be
development of an easy way to factor large prime numbers. - Bill Gates

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