From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Eliot Blennerhassett Subject: Re: [PATCH] Prefer kernel-versioned firmware directory. Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:57:05 +1200 Message-ID: <4E4D8AB1.9090406@audioscience.com> References: <1313551163-819-1-git-send-email-linux@audioscience.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: Received: from smtp3.clear.net.nz (smtp3.clear.net.nz [203.97.33.64]) by alsa0.perex.cz (Postfix) with ESMTP id 002AD2412D for ; Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:57:25 +0200 (CEST) Received: from [192.168.36.2] (121-72-250-62.cable.telstraclear.net [121.72.250.62]) by smtp3.clear.net.nz (CLEAR Net Mail) with ESMTP id <0LQ500AOA8Z5IM30@smtp3.clear.net.nz> for alsa-devel@alsa-project.org; Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:57:05 +1200 (NZST) In-reply-to: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: alsa-devel-bounces@alsa-project.org Errors-To: alsa-devel-bounces@alsa-project.org To: Takashi Iwai Cc: alsa-devel@alsa-project.org List-Id: alsa-devel@alsa-project.org On 18/08/11 22:12, Takashi Iwai wrote: >> From: Eliot Blennerhassett >> >> Different kernel versions may have different driver versions installed, >> which in turn require different firmware versions. >> >> If /lib/firmware/$(uname -r) exists, use it in preference to the >> generic /lib/firmware. > > It's no good idea. The installation of the firmware has nothing to > do with the running kernel version. But running version of the kernel module may depend on a particular firmware version. > The firmware in kernel-tree may > be installed in the kernel-version specific directory, but it's > basically not for external firmware. External modules are not renamed, they are put in a kernel-versioned directory, so why not the firmware that they need? On this ubuntu installation, there is all sorts of firmware in /lib/firmware/$(uname -r) and in /lib/firmare Some files are duplicated in these locations, some aren't. The former is searched before the latter when firmware is requested. Now, if the system has installed firmware in a versioned directory, and the someone 'updates' from alsa-firmware, they won't get the expected result because the old firmware will be used in preference to the new. > > In principle, if a firmware is not? > compatible, you must rename it, e.g. > with a version suffix, etc. Or, if a firmware is backward compatible, > we may keep using the same name. -- Eliot -- Eliot Blennerhassett AudioScience Inc.