From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1757570Ab0I1TIZ (ORCPT ); Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:08:25 -0400 Received: from lo.gmane.org ([80.91.229.12]:41156 "EHLO lo.gmane.org" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1754955Ab0I1TIY (ORCPT ); Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:08:24 -0400 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org From: Alexander Clouter Subject: Re: [RFC] Online firmware upgrade in non-embedded systems Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:45:33 +0100 Message-ID: References: <1285696787.2282.45.camel@achroite.uk.solarflarecom.com> X-Complaints-To: usenet@dough.gmane.org X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: chipmunk.wormnet.eu User-Agent: tin/1.9.3-20080506 ("Dalintober") (UNIX) (Linux/2.6.26-2-sparc64-smp (sparc64)) Cc: netdev@vger.kernel.org, linux-mtd@lists.infradead.org Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In gmane.linux.kernel Ben Hutchings wrote: > > Currently the sfc network driver is optionally combined with an MTD > driver (CONFIG_SFC_MTD) which exposes all upgradable firmware and > configuration partitions in flash. This works nicely in kernels with > MTD enabled, but since MTD is mainly used in embedded systems with > on-board flash it is often disabled in distribution kernels and custom > kernels alike. This leaves users of sfc unable to upgrade firmware > without rebuilding the kernel or booting some other distribution. The > lack of widespread MTD support is a regular cause of support requests. > ---- ac56@proxy0:~$ uname -a Linux proxy0 2.6.32-5-686 #1 SMP Wed Aug 25 14:28:12 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux ac56@proxy0:~$ cat /etc/debian_version squeeze/sid ac56@proxy0:~$ grep CONFIG_SFC_MTD /boot/config-2.6.32-5-686 CONFIG_SFC_MTD=y ac56@proxy0:~$ grep '^CONFIG_MTD' /boot/config-2.6.32-5-686 | wc 72 72 1693 ---- I tell them "use a real distribution". Cheers -- Alexander Clouter .sigmonster says: BOFH excuse #119: evil hackers from Serbia.