netdev - Re: [PATCH v1] netdevice: clean old FIXME that it is not worthed

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Date:   Mon, 06 Mar 2023 17:55:29 +0100
From:   "Vincenzo Palazzo" <vincenzopalazzodev@...il.com>
To:     "Stephen Hemminger" <stephen@...workplumber.org>
Cc:     <netdev@...r.kernel.org>, <davem@...emloft.net>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v1] netdevice: clean old FIXME that it is not worthed

On Sat Mar 4, 2023 at 9:17 PM CET, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> On Sat,  4 Mar 2023 20:44:33 +0100
> Vincenzo Palazzo <vincenzopalazzodev@...il.com> wrote:
>
> > Alternative patch that removes an old FIXME because it currently
> > the change is worthed as some comments in the patch point out
> > (https://lore.kernel.org/all/20230304080650.74e8d396@hermes.local/#t)
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Vincenzo Palazzo <vincenzopalazzodev@...il.com>
> > ---
> >  include/linux/netdevice.h | 1 -
> >  1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)
> > 
> > diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
> > index 6a14b7b11766..82af7eb62075 100644
> > --- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
> > +++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
> > @@ -2033,7 +2033,6 @@ struct net_device {
> >  	struct dev_ifalias	__rcu *ifalias;
> >  	/*
> >  	 *	I/O specific fields
> > -	 *	FIXME: Merge these and struct ifmap into one
> >  	 */
> >  	unsigned long		mem_end;
> >  	unsigned long		mem_start;
>
> These fields actually are only used by old hardware devices that
> pre-date buses with auto discovery. I.e ISA bus not PCI.
>
> Since ISA bus support is gone, either these devices should have
> been removed as well or they really aren't using those fields..
>
> If someone wanted to clean this stuff out, start by seeing
> if any of those devices still live. For example, the E1000e has
> a couple of variants and dropping support for the non-PCI variant
> would be ok.
>
> All of arcnet could/should go away? Maybe move to staging?
>
> The wan devices might also have been ISA only devices that are now
> unusable.

Well I could do this, also because from the patch [1] that I made
looks like there are not a lot of driver that are using these fields.

However, what is the right process for this kind of clean up work?

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20230304122432.265902-1-vincenzopalazzodev@gmail.com/