Re: [GIT *] Allow request_firmware() to be satisfied from in-kernel, use it in more drivers.

[Jeff Garzik <jeff@garzik.org>]

Arjan van de Ven wrote:
> On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:41:19 -0700
> Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org> wrote:
> 
>> On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:23:26 -0700
>> David Woodhouse <dwmw2@infradead.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Linus, please pull from the for-2.6.27 branch of:
>>> 	git://git.infradead.org/users/dwmw2/firmware-2.6.git
>>> for-2.6.27
>> The firmware flamewars seem to have subsided lately.  Is everyone
>> happy with this now?
>>
> 
> this seems to have left the contentious pieces out....

Correction:  It seems to have completely ignored contentious issues, 
which is not the same thing.

It -removes- the ability to build firmware into the kernel module -- a 
currently deployed, highly reliable configuration.

I'm not surprised that fact was snipped in David's submission -- 
wouldn't want to mention that you are unconditionally replacing a 
reliable method of firmware loading with a less reliable one.

Building the firmware into the kernel is far less useful than it 
appears:  often users lack the ability to maintain their own vmlinuz 
kernel image build, but do build updated drivers.  e.g. driver disks for 
Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

IMO the newly added /inability/ to build firmware into kernel modules is 
a clear regression.

	Jeff