Re: [RFC net-next 0/6] devlink: add device (driver) information API

[Jiri Pirko <jiri@resnulli.us>]

Tue, Jan 15, 2019 at 02:57:55AM CET, andrew@lunn.ch wrote:
>> I think the plan was to use this opportunity to move the information
>> which belongs in devlink to devlink.  There is absolutely nothing
>> netdev specific here, and ethtool uses a netdev as a handle.  We can
>> have the new ethtool command just issue a devlink request behind the
>> scenes if we care.
>
>Hi Jakub
>
>Using that argument, you should probably make the devlink core call
>the ethtool .get_drvinfo op if the device does not implement the
>devlink op.

I imagine it happening the other way around. Updated drivers would
implement only the devlink interface. A compat layer would be introduced
to redirect from ethtool calls into devlink to gather information (like
fw version and other stuff which is currently in ethtool).

This approach would provide a single and complete interface between
driver and kernel and it would also maintain exinsting ethtool
interface.


>
>    Andrew