Re: [PATCH net-next 1/4] dt-bindings: net: ethernet-controller: update descriptions of RGMII modes

[Matthias Schiffer <matthias.schiffer@ew.tq-group.com>]

On Mon, 2025-04-28 at 16:08 +0200, Andrew Lunn wrote:
> 
> > > However, with the yaml stuff, if that is basically becoming "DT
> > > specification" then it needs to be clearly defined what each value
> > > actually means for the system, and not this vague airy-fairy thing
> > > we have now.
> 
>  
> > I agree with Russell that it seems preferable to make it unambiguous whether
> > delays are added on the MAC or PHY side, in particular for fine-tuning. If
> > anything is left to the implementation, we should make the range of acceptable
> > driver behavior very clear in the documentation.
> 
> I think we should try the "Informative" route first, see what the DT
> Maintainers think when we describe in detail how Linux interprets
> these values.

Oh, we should not be Linux-specific. We should describe in detail how *any OS*
must interpret values.


> 
> I don't think a whole new set of properties will solve anything. I
> would say the core of the problem is that there are multiple ways of
> getting a working system, many of which don't fit the DT binding. But
> DT developers don't care about that, they are just happy when it
> works. Adding a different set of properties won't change that.
> 
> 	Andrew

Hmm, considering that

- interpretation of existing properties is inconsistent
- we could like something with a consistent interpretation
- we can't change how existing drivers interpret the properties, as that would
be a breaking change,

I don't think we really have any options but to introduce something new, or keep
the inconsistent status quo.

Best,
Matthias



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