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

Marcel Holtmann
2008-07-15T20:30:38Z

Hi David,

> > 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.
>
> My concern with that is that even though it's a one-line change, it's a
> one-line change which people don't already _have_. We really do need to
> remain compatible with existing setups.
>
> For _now_, I think it's much better to leave it in /lib/firmware where
> existing upstream udev will find it. Let's change udev ASAP and then we
> can talk about when it makes sense to change the default setting of
> $(INSTALL_FW_PATH) to match.

fair enough. What about keeping symlink in /lib/firmware, but actually
doing the install in a versioned directory?

> I'm not too worried about overwriting existing firmware
> in /lib/firmware. We very rarely change firmware anyway, when we _do_
> change it it's almost always compatible rather than having ABI changes.
> On the rare occasions that remain, the incompatibly changed firmware
> really ought to have a new filename so that older drivers don't pick it
> up when they want the old one.

Actually in some case we do. I think about the case where I have an two
years old kernel that came with the distro and would need that firmware
to make the driver work. However now we have the new firmware and it
falls over.

Breaking a distro install is worse then breaking a new kernel. At least
this is how I see it. I do like to have the distro setup as fallback or
rescue when I mess up.

Regards

Marcel