configuring while interface is down

configuring while interface is down

[Johannes Berg]

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Hi,

Alina raised an interesting point -- wext allows you to configure an
interface while it is down, at least by convention. Some parameters for
cfg80211 we reject while an interface is down, e.g. adding new stations,
partly for technical reasons and partly because that doesn't make sense
when the mode of interface isn't fixed.

For cfg80211's assoc/ibss calls, I think we should reject them outright
when the interface is down, any objections?

johannes

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Re: configuring while interface is down

[Alina Friedrichsen]

Hello!

> For cfg80211's assoc/ibss calls, I think we should reject them outrig=
ht
> when the interface is down, any objections?

How should assoc in cfg80211 work?

=46or WEXT I like collecting all changes while the interface is down an=
d the if it's up again apply them in one step. That is the reason why I=
 want call "*_commit()" on interface up.

Regards
Alina

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Re: configuring while interface is down

[Johannes Berg]

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On Wed, 2009-03-11 at 14:43 +0100, Alina Friedrichsen wrote:
> Hello!
> 
> > For cfg80211's assoc/ibss calls, I think we should reject them outright
> > when the interface is down, any objections?
> 
> How should assoc in cfg80211 work?

see Jouni's patches.

> For WEXT I like collecting all changes while the interface is down and
> the if it's up again apply them in one step. That is the reason why I
> want call "*_commit()" on interface up.

which is what we'll continue doing in cfg80211, but I think we shouldn't
bother the driver/mac80211 with it until the netdev is up, and thus
reject things from nl80211.

johannes

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Re: configuring while interface is down

[Samuel Ortiz]

On Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 02:48:34PM +0100, Johannes Berg wrote:
> On Wed, 2009-03-11 at 14:43 +0100, Alina Friedrichsen wrote:
> > Hello!
> > 
> > > For cfg80211's assoc/ibss calls, I think we should reject them outright
> > > when the interface is down, any objections?
> > 
> > How should assoc in cfg80211 work?
> 
> see Jouni's patches.
> 
> > For WEXT I like collecting all changes while the interface is down and
> > the if it's up again apply them in one step. That is the reason why I
> > want call "*_commit()" on interface up.
> 
> which is what we'll continue doing in cfg80211, but I think we shouldn't
> bother the driver/mac80211 with it until the netdev is up, and thus
> reject things from nl80211.
That is quite reasonable, please go for it.

Cheers,
Samuel.


-- 
Intel Open Source Technology Centre
http://oss.intel.com/

Re: configuring while interface is down

[Kalle Valo]

Samuel Ortiz <samuel@sortiz.org> writes:

>> which is what we'll continue doing in cfg80211, but I think we shouldn't
>> bother the driver/mac80211 with it until the netdev is up, and thus
>> reject things from nl80211.
>
> That is quite reasonable, please go for it.

I fully agree. It's good to enforce this in cfg80211.

-- 
Kalle Valo

Re: configuring while interface is down

[Alina Friedrichsen]

Hello Johannes!

> which is what we'll continue doing in cfg80211, but I think we should=
n't
> bother the driver/mac80211 with it until the netdev is up, and thus
> reject things from nl80211.

Do you think WEXT should only be a wrapper around cfg80211? If yes, I w=
ould agree.

Regards
Alina

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Re: configuring while interface is down

[Johannes Berg]

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On Wed, 2009-03-11 at 16:58 +0100, Alina Friedrichsen wrote:
> Hello Johannes!
> 
> > which is what we'll continue doing in cfg80211, but I think we shouldn't
> > bother the driver/mac80211 with it until the netdev is up, and thus
> > reject things from nl80211.
> 
> Do you think WEXT should only be a wrapper around cfg80211? If yes, I would agree.

Yes, of course.

johannes

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Re: configuring while interface is down

[John W. Linville]

On Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 01:36:13PM +0100, Johannes Berg wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Alina raised an interesting point -- wext allows you to configure an
> interface while it is down, at least by convention. Some parameters for
> cfg80211 we reject while an interface is down, e.g. adding new stations,
> partly for technical reasons and partly because that doesn't make sense
> when the mode of interface isn't fixed.
> 
> For cfg80211's assoc/ibss calls, I think we should reject them outright
> when the interface is down, any objections?

I think that makes perfect sense.

-- 
John W. Linville		Someday the world will need a hero, and you
linville@tuxdriver.com			might be all we have.  Be ready.

Re: configuring while interface is down

[Dan Williams]

On Wed, 2009-03-11 at 13:36 +0100, Johannes Berg wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Alina raised an interesting point -- wext allows you to configure an
> interface while it is down, at least by convention. Some parameters for
> cfg80211 we reject while an interface is down, e.g. adding new stations,
> partly for technical reasons and partly because that doesn't make sense
> when the mode of interface isn't fixed.
> 
> For cfg80211's assoc/ibss calls, I think we should reject them outright
> when the interface is down, any objections?

wext *allows* that, but drivers never consistently implemented that
(prism54 for example).  With most soft-mac style adapters you can't scan
while the interface is down either.  Anything meaningful use of the
interface happens when the firmware (if any) is loaded and the device is
operational.  The only reason for setting parameters while the device
was down was to allow "commit-style" handling of the parameters; set
them all up while down, bring the interface up, and it uses all the
params you've set/locked on the interface.  With cfg80211, that's
already handled in a much better manner, thus +1 from me.

Dan