Re: RFC: Future plans for bcm43xx-softmac

[Michael Buesch <mb@bu3sch.de>]

On Friday 23 March 2007 18:37, Larry Finger wrote:
> I think we have a plan for the future of bcm43xx-softmac once the bcm43xx-mac80211 version goes into
> mainline. Unfortunately it cannot just be abandoned as there will be no support for 802.11b-only
> devices in bcm43xx-mac80211.
> 
> The steps to be done are as follows:
> 
> 1. Change the namespace from bcm43xx to bcm4301. This will both reflect the purpose of the changed
> driver as well as prevent namespace collisions with the bcm43xx-mac80211 version in case both are
> built into the kernel.
> 
> 2. Modify bcm4301 to use mac80211 rather than softmac. Although this process has the potential for
> introducing bugs into what is currently the stable version, it does allow the abandonment of softmac
> with its deficiencies, many of which are essentially uncorrectable.
> 
> 3. The PCI-ids recognized by bcm4301-mac80211 will be restricted to the 802.11b-only devices and the
> configuration information will be modified.
> 
> Step 1 will be completed very soon and the appropriate patches will be submitted to Linville's
> wireless-dev tree.
> 
> I will be working on step 2 in the coming months and will submit those patches to the list for
> comments and testing. When ready, they too will be submitted to Linville. Once bcm43xx-mac80211 goes
> into mainline, the step 3 patches will be submitted.
> 
> Please comment on this plan.

I ACK this as-is.

-- 
Greetings Michael.