netdev - Re: [PATCH net-next v8 00/14] ethtool netlink interface, part 1

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Message-ID: <884c1d40-c0ca-37f2-4149-8c7189dbca3b@gmail.com>
Date:   Mon, 23 Dec 2019 08:52:01 -0800
From:   Florian Fainelli <f.fainelli@...il.com>
To:     Michal Kubecek <mkubecek@...e.cz>,
        David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>, netdev@...r.kernel.org
Cc:     Jakub Kicinski <jakub.kicinski@...ronome.com>,
        Jiri Pirko <jiri@...nulli.us>, Andrew Lunn <andrew@...n.ch>,
        John Linville <linville@...driver.com>,
        Stephen Hemminger <stephen@...workplumber.org>,
        Johannes Berg <johannes@...solutions.net>,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next v8 00/14] ethtool netlink interface, part 1

Hi Michal,

On 12/22/2019 3:45 PM, Michal Kubecek wrote:
> This is first part of netlink based alternative userspace interface for
> ethtool. It aims to address some long known issues with the ioctl
> interface, mainly lack of extensibility, raciness, limited error reporting
> and absence of notifications. The goal is to allow userspace ethtool
> utility to provide all features it currently does but without using the
> ioctl interface. However, some features provided by ethtool ioctl API will
> be available through other netlink interfaces (rtnetlink, devlink) if it's
> more appropriate.
> 
> The interface uses generic netlink family "ethtool" and provides multicast
> group "monitor" which is used for notifications. Documentation for the
> interface is in Documentation/networking/ethtool-netlink.rst file. The
> netlink interface is optional, it is built when CONFIG_ETHTOOL_NETLINK
> (bool) option is enabled.
> 
> There are three types of request messages distinguished by suffix "_GET"
> (query for information), "_SET" (modify parameters) and "_ACT" (perform an
> action). Kernel reply messages have name with additional suffix "_REPLY"
> (e.g. ETHTOOL_MSG_SETTINGS_GET_REPLY). Most "_SET" and "_ACT" message types
> do not have matching reply type as only some of them need additional reply
> data beyond numeric error code and extack. Kernel also broadcasts
> notification messages ("_NTF" suffix) on changes.

Thanks for re-posting these patches again, would you have ethtool and
iproute2 branches with your latest ethnl patches applied? I did find
your ethnl directory on your github, but it applies to a slightly oldish
ethtool version. If you could maintain forks with an "ethnl" branch
there, that would help greatly.

I will continue reviewing from there on, but also wanted to give it a
spin to get a feel.

Thanks!
-- 
Florian