Re: [ewg] [PATCH v4] IB Core: RAW ETH support

Steve Wise
2010-06-16T17:12:06Z

Jason Gunthorpe wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 09:09:59AM -0500, Steve Wise wrote:
>
>
>> Granted our dev process may not be documented, but I always assumed the
>> general idea was to get changes accepted upstream, then pull into ofed.
>> OFED is just a mechanism to make top-of-tree linux work on distro
>> kernels. There are some exceptions, but this stuff shouldn't be an
>> exception.
>>
>
> That is what many people wish for, me included, but it is not at all
> what generally happens :(
>
> In my observation the typical flow is:
> - A patch is written, it may or may not be sent to the list
> - 'business drivers' get it slammed into OFED right away
> - A patch is finally sent for proper review
> - It is not merged, there are comments..
> - Interest in doing anything is lost because it is already in
> OFED and that is all that matters, right?
> - People complain.
>
> For instance, the iWarp thingy we were just discussing fits this
> process rather well.
>
>

You're wrong. I started that iWARP change in 2007 on LKLM. I proposed
a few ideas and show the pros/cons of each. And it was NAKed 100% by
mister miller. It was then included in OFED as a last resort only
because I couldn't get any help with trying to add this upstream in any
form. I even spent a few weeks developing a way to administor "iwarp
only" ipaddresses, but Roland didn't like that scheme for various
reasons. So please don't mention that particular patch as a "bad
process" unless you want to argue with me some more about it.

Also, the chelsio iWARP driver has 100% been upstream first, then
ofed. Some of us are indeed trying to do the right thing.

<steps off soap box>