Re: [Buildroot] [PATCH v2] package/rtl8188eu: remove wrong description in Config.in

[Luca Ceresoli via buildroot <buildroot@buildroot.org>]

Hi Giulio,

On Wed, 16 Nov 2022 02:15:57 +0100
Giulio Benetti <giulio.benetti@benettiengineering.com> wrote:

> On 16/11/22 01:33, Giulio Benetti wrote:
> > Hi Thomas, Luca,
> > 
> > On 30/10/22 21:06, Thomas Petazzoni via buildroot wrote:  
> >> On Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:48:23 +0200
> >> Giulio Benetti <giulio.benetti@benettiengineering.com> wrote:
> >>  
> >>> This rtl8188eu driver is not the same as the one in mainline Linux that
> >>> still has pending work to be done that in this driver is done, check:
> >>> https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/drivers/staging/r8188eu/TODO
> >>> specifically:
> >>> * Switch to use LIB80211.
> >>> * Switch to use MAC80211.
> >>> * Switch to use CFG80211.
> >>> So let's remove the description that is not valid anymore.
> >>>
> >>> Suggested-by: Luca Ceresoli <luca.ceresoli@bootlin.com>
> >>> Signed-off-by: Giulio Benetti <giulio.benetti@benettiengineering.com>
> >>> ---
> >>> V1->V2:
> >>> * improve Config.in description as pointed by Luca Ceresoli
> >>> ---
> >>>   package/rtl8188eu/Config.in | 7 ++++---
> >>>   1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> >>>
> >>> diff --git a/package/rtl8188eu/Config.in b/package/rtl8188eu/Config.in
> >>> index 76d9085297..2fab1fd5c0 100644
> >>> --- a/package/rtl8188eu/Config.in
> >>> +++ b/package/rtl8188eu/Config.in
> >>> @@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_RTL8188EU
> >>>       depends on BR2_LINUX_KERNEL
> >>>       help
> >>>         A standalone driver for the RTL8188EU USB Wi-Fi adapter.
> >>> -      This is needed only for Linux kernels before 3.12.
> >>> -      Since 3.12, there is a (staging) driver in mainline, with a
> >>> -      similar codebase.
> >>> +      This rtl8188eu driver is not the same as the one in mainline
> >>> +      Linux that still has pending work to be done that in this
> >>> +      driver is done, check:
> >>> +      
> >>> https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/drivers/staging/r8188eu/TODO  
> >>
> >> I don't see any thing in this TODO that explains why the out-of-tree
> >> driver is better than the mainline driver.
> >>
> >> The out-of-tree driver has been integrated into drivers/staging/, and
> >> this TODO file lists what should be improved in the driver so that it
> >> can be graduated to move outside of drivers/staging/ into the proper
> >> drivers/net/wireless/ location.
> >>
> >> I don't see anything in this TODO that indicates that the out-of-tree
> >> driver has "more features" than the mainline driver, so to me the
> >> Config.in help text still makes sense.
> >>
> >> Could you give some more details?  
> > 
> > The TODO file[0] is outdated because it states that:
> > * Switch to use LIB80211.
> > * Switch to use MAC80211.
> > * Switch to use CFG80211.
> > are still pending, but it's true not because if we check the Kconfig[1]
> > we find 'depends on CFG80211' and LIB80211. Also if we check for
> > ieee80211_*() callse int drivers/staging/r8188eu folder we find a lot of
> > calls. So I think this module is only a copy of the Linux driver that
> > can work as specified in the actual help(with Linux version before 3.12.

I haven't checked myself, but if you think the transition to cfg80211
and lib80211 is completed in mainline, you can send a patch to have the
TODO updated in upstream Linux. That would reduce confusion.

> > Does it maybe make sense to add in the help section:
> > ```
> > If using Linux 3.12+ it's recommended to use Linux driver
> > ```

Yes, absolutely, but only if are you reasonably sure that Linux 3.12 has
all the same rtl8188eu features that it has currently.

-- 
Luca Ceresoli, Bootlin
Embedded Linux and Kernel engineering
https://bootlin.com
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