netdev - Re: [PATCH] brcmfmac: use separate firmware for 43430 revision 2

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Message-ID: <bb4eece6-e164-7dc2-bd9a-33fe0714d7a7@broadcom.com>
Date:   Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:11:57 +0200
From:   Arend van Spriel <arend.vanspriel@...adcom.com>
To:     Kalle Valo <kvalo@...eaurora.org>,
        Mikhail Rudenko <mike.rudenko@...il.com>
Cc:     Arend van Spriel <aspriel@...il.com>,
        Franky Lin <franky.lin@...adcom.com>,
        Hante Meuleman <hante.meuleman@...adcom.com>,
        Chi-hsien Lin <chi-hsien.lin@...ineon.com>,
        Wright Feng <wright.feng@...ineon.com>,
        Chung-hsien Hsu <chung-hsien.hsu@...ineon.com>,
        "David S. Miller" <davem@...emloft.net>,
        Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>,
        Dmitry Osipenko <digetx@...il.com>,
        Double Lo <double.lo@...ress.com>,
        Remi Depommier <rde@...rix.com>,
        Amar Shankar <amsr@...ress.com>,
        Saravanan Shanmugham <saravanan.shanmugham@...ress.com>,
        Frank Kao <frank.kao@...ress.com>,
        linux-wireless@...r.kernel.org,
        brcm80211-dev-list.pdl@...adcom.com,
        SHA-cyfmac-dev-list@...ineon.com, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] brcmfmac: use separate firmware for 43430 revision 2



On 6/24/2021 6:39 PM, Kalle Valo wrote:
> Mikhail Rudenko <mike.rudenko@...il.com> writes:
> 
>> On 2021-05-10 at 11:06 MSK, Arend van Spriel <arend.vanspriel@...adcom.com> wrote:
>>> On 5/10/2021 1:30 AM, Mikhail Rudenko wrote:
>>>> A separate firmware is needed for Broadcom 43430 revision 2.  This
>>>> chip can be found in e.g. certain revisions of Ampak AP6212 wireless
>>>> IC. Original firmware file from IC vendor is named
>>>> 'fw_bcm43436b0.bin', but brcmfmac and also btbcm drivers report chip
>>>
>>> That is bad naming. There already is a 43436 USB device.
>>>
>>>> id 43430, so requested firmware file name is
>>>> 'brcmfmac43430b0-sdio.bin' in line with other 43430 revisions.
>>>
>>> As always there is the question about who will be publishing this
>>> particular firmware file to linux-firmware.
>>
>> The above mentioned file can be easily found by web search. Also, the
>> corresponding patch for the bluetooth part has just been accepted
>> [1]. Is it strictly necessary to have firmware file in linux-firmware in
>> order to have this patch accepted?
> 
> This patch is a bit in the gray area. We have a rule that firmware
> images should be in linux-firmware, but as the vendor won't submit one
> and I assume the license doesn't approve the community submit it either,
> there is not really any solution for the firmware problem.

At the moment I am not sure which company/division is shipping the 43430 
rev 2 or 43436. Having it in linux-firmware is still preferred.

> On the other hand some community members have access to the firmware
> somehow so this patch is useful to the community, and I think taking an
> exception to the rule in this case is justified. So I am inclined
> towards applying the patch.

As an end-user community members using the device are allowed to use the 
firmware to run on that device. So I tend to agree with you.

> Thoughts? I also have another similar patch in the queue:
> 
> https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20210307113550.7720-1-konrad.dybcio@somainline.org/

I will review both and comment/ack them.

Regards,
Arend