Re: [patch 12/12] Configure out ethtool support

[David Miller <davem@davemloft.net>]

From: Matt Mackall <mpm@selenic.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:05:02 -0500

> On Wed, 2008-07-30 at 15:37 -0700, David Miller wrote:
> > From: Matt Mackall <mpm@selenic.com>
> > Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:24:26 -0500
> > 
> > > 
> > > On Wed, 2008-07-30 at 14:35 -0700, David Miller wrote:
> > > > This change means you can't configure nearly all of the features on
> > > > your ethernet card.  You can't even configure the link parameters
> > > > without ethtool support.
> > > 
> > > Which is big fat don't-care for the vast majority of users. Various
> > > popular distros don't even install the tool by default.
> > 
> > Are you even aware that the ethtool layer gets invoked by simply
> > enabling IP forwarding or bridgining, in order to disable LRO
> > offloading which conflicts with such uses?
> 
> Oh noes. How ever will my poor webcam get on the internets without that.

Have any firewall rules implemented on that webcam?

It's only a matter of time before other core facilities need
to use ethtool to adjust the device's settings in one way or
another.

So what I said is anything but hyperbole.