Re: [PATCH] dt: bindings: Add a generic ethernet device binding

[David Miller <davem@davemloft.net>]

From: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2016 12:12:37 +0200

> Hi,
> 
> On 15-07-16 19:51, David Miller wrote:
>> From: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>
>> Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2016 08:40:00 +0200
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> On 15-07-16 01:17, David Miller wrote:
>>>> From: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>
>>>> Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2016 12:20:04 +0200
>>>>
>>>>> On some boards (android tablets) different batches use different sdio
>>>>> wifi modules. This is not a problem since sdio is a discoverable bus,
>>>>> so we only need to describe and activate the mmc controller in dt and
>>>>> then the kernel will automatically load the right driver.
>>>>>
>>>>> But sometimes it is useful to specify certain ethernet properties for
>>>>> these "unknown" sdio devices, specifically we want the boot-loader
>>>>> to be able to set "local-mac-address" as some of these sdio wifi
>>>>> modules come without an eeprom / without a factory programmed mac
>>>>> address.
>>>>>
>>>>> Since the exact device is unknown (differs per batch) we cannot use
>>>>> a wifi-chip specific compatible. This commit adds a new
>>>>> "generic,ethernet" binding for use in dt-nodes describing such an
>>>>> unknown ethernet device.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cc: Maxime Ripard <maxime.ripard@free-electrons.com>
>>>>> Signed-off-by: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>
>>>>
>>>> Precedence exists for a "system ethernet address" as far back as the
>>>> original sparc device tree implementation, so please just specify it
>>>> that way rather than trying to force having to make an alias or
>>>> reference to it from a specific device.
>>>
>>> Some boards where this is applicable have both a wired and a wireless
>>> ethernet, so one global setting will not work.
>>
>> Then call it "eth:local-mac-address" and "wifi:local-mac-address"
> 
> Until we get a board with 2 ethernet interfaces, really the alias
> thing
> is working fine here, that is not the problem.

Fair enough.