Re: [PATCH net-deletions v2] net: remove unused ATM protocols and legacy ATM device drivers

Paolo Abeni
2026-04-23T14:55:00Z

On 4/22/26 9:08 AM, Andy Shevchenko wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 09:18:44PM -0700, Jakub Kicinski wrote:
>> Remove the ATM protocol modules and PCI/SBUS ATM device drivers
>> that are no longer in active use.
>>
>> The ATM core protocol stack, PPPoATM, BR2684, and USB DSL modem
>> drivers (drivers/usb/atm/) are retained in-tree to maintain PPP
>> over ATM (PPPoA) and PPPoE-over-BR2684 support for DSL connections.
>>
>> Removed ATM protocol modules:
>> - net/atm/clip.c - Classical IP over ATM (RFC 2225)
>> - net/atm/lec.c - LAN Emulation Client (LANE)
>> - net/atm/mpc.c, mpoa_caches.c, mpoa_proc.c - Multi-Protocol Over ATM
>>
>> Removed PCI/SBUS ATM device drivers (drivers/atm/):
>> - adummy, atmtcp - software/testing ATM devices
>> - eni - Efficient Networks ENI155P (OC-3, ~1995)
>> - fore200e - FORE Systems 200E PCI/SBUS (OC-3, ~1999)
>> - he - ForeRunner HE (OC-3/OC-12, ~2000)
>> - idt77105 - IDT 77105 25 Mbps ATM PHY
>> - idt77252 - IDT 77252 NICStAR II (OC-3, ~2000)
>> - iphase - Interphase ATM PCI (OC-3/DS3/E3)
>> - lanai - Efficient Networks Speedstream 3010
>> - nicstar - IDT 77201 NICStAR (155/25 Mbps, ~1999)
>> - solos-pci - Traverse Technologies ADSL2+ PCI
>> - suni - PMC S/UNI SONET PHY library
>>
>> Also clean up references in:
>> - net/bridge/ - remove ATM LANE hook (br_fdb_test_addr_hook,
>> br_fdb_test_addr)
>> - net/core/dev.c - remove br_fdb_test_addr_hook export
>> - defconfig files - remove ATM driver config options
>>
>> The removed code is moved to an out-of-tree module package (mod-orphan).
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@kernel.org>
>> ---
>> v2:
>> - keep BR2684
>> - correct the claim that Traverse Technologies is defunct,
>> I'm still deleting the solos driver, chances are nobody uses it.
>> Easy enough to revert back in since core is still around.
>> The guiding principle is to keep USB modems and delete
>> the rest as USB ADSL2+ CPEs were most popular historically.

A possible alternative would be moving the solos driver (and others
similarly old, possibly not used anymore drivers into the staging dir
(and let them be removed after some reasonable grace period).

/P