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

Marcel Holtmann
2008-07-15T20:00:41Z

Hi David,

> > > Which is why 'make modules_install' installs the firmware, or at least it did
> > > before David W pushed upstream.
> >
> > So you're literally just about making this be "make modules_install"
> > rather than "make firmware_install"
> >
> > Ok. Are you going to be happy if "make modules_install" just copies the
> > firmware files of the affected modules too?
>
> I did that already. I'm not _entirely_ sure it was the right thing to
> do, but it does help to reduce surprises when people don't realise that
> a driver they're using now has separate firmware.
>
> I don't believe it was the result of a constructive request from Jeff; I
> think someone else suggested it in response to his whining. It may even
> have been my idea, but I don't recall.
>
> This is the current situation:
>
> 'make modules_install' will install the firmware required by the modules
> it installs. It'll install that to $(INSTALL_MOD_PATH)/lib/firmware/
> unless you override that by setting $(INSTALL_FW_PATH). So you can put
> it into a kernel-specific directory if you want to.
>
> 'make firmware_install' will install _all_ available firmware files
> to /lib/firmware (or $(INSTALL_FW_PATH)), regardless of architecture or
> configuration. That's what Fedora is using for its 'kernel-firmware'
> package, which is arch-independent and required by the various kernel
> binary packages.

I really think we should use /lib/firmware/`uname -r`/. I do see the
point here that I don't wanna overwrite existing firmware from other
installed kernels. Especially if modules_install will install the
firmware files.

So in case of non-Ubuntu distros we have to push a fix to udev, but that
is not a big deal. It should be a one-line change if I am not mistaken.

Regards

Marcel