netdev - Re: [PATCH net-next v4] net/core: Replace driver version to be kernel version

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Date:   Mon, 27 Jan 2020 13:47:48 +0100 (CET)
From:   David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>
To:     leon@...nel.org
Cc:     kuba@...nel.org, f.fainelli@...il.com, mkubecek@...e.cz,
        snelson@...sando.io, leonro@...lanox.com,
        michal.kalderon@...vell.com, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-rdma@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next v4] net/core: Replace driver version to be
 kernel version

From: Leon Romanovsky <leon@...nel.org>
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2020 09:20:28 +0200

> From: Leon Romanovsky <leonro@...lanox.com>
> 
> In order to stop useless driver version bumps and unify output
> presented by ethtool -i, let's set default version string.
> 
> As Linus said in [1]: "Things are supposed to be backwards and
> forwards compatible, because we don't accept breakage in user
> space anyway. So versioning is pointless, and only causes
> problems."
> 
> They cause problems when users start to see version changes
> and expect specific set of features which will be different
> for stable@, vanilla and distribution kernels.
> 
> Distribution kernels are based on some kernel version with extra
> patches on top, for example, in RedHat world this "extra" is a lot
> and for them your driver version say nothing. Users who run vanilla
> kernels won't use driver version information too, because running
> such kernels requires knowledge and understanding.
> 
> Another set of problems are related to difference in versioning scheme
> and such doesn't allow to write meaningful automation which will work
> sanely on all ethtool capable devices.
> 
> Before this change:
> [leonro@...er ~]$ ethtool -i eth0
> driver: virtio_net
> version: 1.0.0
> After this change and once ->version assignment will be deleted
> from virtio_net:
> [leonro@...ver ~]$ ethtool -i eth0
> driver: virtio_net
> version: 5.5.0-rc6+
> 
> Link: https://lore.kernel.org/ksummit-discuss/CA+55aFx9A=5cc0QZ7CySC4F2K7eYaEfzkdYEc9JaNgCcV25=rg@mail.gmail.com/
> Link: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-rdma/20200122152627.14903-1-michal.kalderon@marvell.com/T/#md460ff8f976c532a89d6860411c3c50bb811038b
> Link: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-rdma/20200127060835.GA570@unicorn.suse.cz
> Signed-off-by: Leon Romanovsky <leonro@...lanox.com>

Applied to net-next, thanks.