Re: [bug?] tg3: Failed to load firmware "tigon/tg3_tso.bin"

Jeff Garzik
2008-07-04T14:06:19Z

Alan Cox wrote:
>> Why is it so difficult to see the value of KEEPING STUFF WORKING AS IT
>> WORKS TODAY?
>
> Sure Jeff. Lets delete libata, that caused all sorts of problems when it
> was being added. We could freeze on linux 1.2.13-lmp, that was a good
> release - why break it ?
>
> There are good sound reasons for having a firmware tree, the fact tg3 is
> a bit of dinosaur in this area doesn't make it wrong.

I never said it was wrong.

I have said repeatedly that separating out the firmware is the right
thing to do.

But... you don't need to force the switchover. You don't need to break
things that work today, in order to accomplish this.

It is quite feasible to do both -- keep things working as they work
today, _and_ add /lib/firmware infrastructure. Then we can work to
switch distros over to the new system.

Further, it is not only feasible, but the only "nice" thing to do to
other developers, users, and distros: permit them to choose when to
stop the decades-old practice of building firmware into some drivers.

Perform the transition in a sane, staged, planned manner that doesn't
result in tons of non-working drivers. I have already provided many
real world examples where people, doing the same things they do today,
will be greeted with non-working drivers upon the next boot. Without
any warning or error messages along the way, hinting that something
might be wrong.

Or, for the cheap seats:

End goal: good

dwmw2's current path: very easy to produce dead driver

Needed resolution: first step should /not/ produce regressions;

current evidence demonstrates current
implementation is full of regressions
that seasoned kernel hackers are hitting

It /is/ possible to add /lib/firmware gadgetry while avoiding the
obvious low-hanging-fruit regressions and flag-day conversions that have
been pointed out here.

Just say no to flag-day changes like this. It is possible for each
distro and boot image script to have their own flag-day. Give them that
choice.

Jeff