Re: [RFC] usbnet: use eth%d name for known ethernet devices

Ben Hutchings
2011-03-24T00:01:26Z

On Wed, 2011-03-23 at 16:38 -0700, Steve Calfee wrote:
> On 03/23/11 16:17, Michal Nazarewicz wrote:
> >>>>>>> @@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ struct driver_info {
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> #define FLAG_LINK_INTR 0x0800 /* updates link (carrier) status */
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> +#define FLAG_PTP 0x1000 /* maybe use "usb%d" names */
> >
> >>>>> On Wednesday 23 March 2011 19:46:50 Greg KH wrote:
> >>>>>> "PTP"? What does that stand for?
> >
> >>>> On Mar 23, 2011 8:36 PM, "Arnd Bergmann"<arnd@arndb.de> wrote:
> >>>>> point-to-point, I'll improve the comment to spell it out when
> >>>>> I send the fixed version.
> >
> >>> On Wednesday 23 March 2011 20:53:13 Michał Nazarewicz wrote:
> >>>> I think P2P could be better.
> >
> >> On Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:57:18 +0100 Arnd Bergmann wrote:
> >>> Yes, good idea.
> >
> > Randy Dunlap<rdunlap@xenotime.net> writes:
> >> that's peer-to-peer.
> >>
> >> OTOH, I knew that PTP was point-to-point.
> >
> > It can be any of that, depending on context. For me PTP is more like
> > Picture Transport Protocol, whereas "2" between two letters is usually
> > "to".
> >
> Well, my 2 cents, picture transport protocol is so obviously different
> than flags for network interfaces it does not cause a mental collision.

PTP is also Precision Time Protocol, which *is* used on network
interfaces (maybe not USB-connected interfaces though).

Anyway, these USB cable interfaces can presumably be bridged to standard
Ethernet, so they are really no more point-to-point than any other
Ethernet link has been since the demise of the hub.

> However P2P is about to become a huge wifi issue, which definitely is in
> the network space. So don't confuse things in the near future, don't use
> P2P.
>
> Maybe a completely different, not so overused flag name would be better.

How about FLAG_NON_IEEE, meaning that the physical layer is not based on
an IEEE 802.3, 802.11 or other standard physical layer.

Ben.

--
Ben Hutchings, Senior Software Engineer, Solarflare
Not speaking for my employer; that's the marketing department's job.
They asked us to note that Solarflare product names are trademarked.