Re: [PATCH] r8169: enable ASPM on Dell platforms

[Heiner Kallweit <hkallweit1@gmail.com>]

On 9/12/2025 9:29 AM, Chia-Lin Kao (AceLan) wrote:
> Enable PCIe ASPM for RTL8169 NICs on Dell platforms that have been
> verified to work reliably with this power management feature. The
> r8169 driver traditionally disables ASPM to prevent random link
> failures and system hangs on problematic hardware.
> 
> Dell has validated these product families to work correctly with
> RTL NIC ASPM and commits to addressing any ASPM-related issues
> with RTL hardware in collaboration with Realtek.
> 
> This change enables ASPM for the following Dell product families:
> - Alienware
> - Dell Laptops/Pro Laptops/Pro Max Laptops
> - Dell Desktops/Pro Desktops/Pro Max Desktops
> - Dell Pro Rugged Laptops
> 
I'd like to avoid DMI-based whitelists in kernel code. If more system
vendors do it the same way, then this becomes hard to maintain.
There is already a mechanism for vendors to flag that they successfully
tested ASPM. See c217ab7a3961 ("r8169: enable ASPM L1.2 if system vendor
flags it as safe").
Last but not least ASPM can be (re-)enabled from userspace, using sysfs.

> Signed-off-by: Chia-Lin Kao (AceLan) <acelan.kao@canonical.com>
> ---
>  drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c | 29 +++++++++++++++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 29 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c
> index 9c601f271c02..63e83cf071de 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c
> @@ -5366,6 +5366,32 @@ static void rtl_init_mac_address(struct rtl8169_private *tp)
>  	rtl_rar_set(tp, mac_addr);
>  }
>  
> +bool rtl_aspm_new_dell_platforms(void)
> +{
> +	const char *family = dmi_get_system_info(DMI_PRODUCT_FAMILY);
> +	static const char * const dell_product_families[] = {
> +		"Alienware",
> +		"Dell Laptops",
> +		"Dell Pro Laptops",
> +		"Dell Pro Max Laptops",
> +		"Dell Desktops",
> +		"Dell Pro Desktops",
> +		"Dell Pro Max Desktops",
> +		"Dell Pro Rugged Laptops"
> +	};
> +	int i;
> +
> +	if (!family)
> +		return false;
> +
> +	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(dell_product_families); i++) {
> +		if (str_has_prefix(family, dell_product_families[i]))
> +			return true;
> +	}
> +
> +	return false;
> +}
> +
>  /* register is set if system vendor successfully tested ASPM 1.2 */
>  static bool rtl_aspm_is_safe(struct rtl8169_private *tp)
>  {
> @@ -5373,6 +5399,9 @@ static bool rtl_aspm_is_safe(struct rtl8169_private *tp)
>  	    r8168_mac_ocp_read(tp, 0xc0b2) & 0xf)
>  		return true;
>  
> +	if (rtl_aspm_new_dell_platforms())
> +		return true;
> +
>  	return false;
>  }
>