From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Richard Cochran Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next 4/4] igb: enable auxiliary PHC functions for the i210. Date: Wed, 29 May 2013 09:24:45 +0200 Message-ID: <20130529072445.GA4868@netboy> References: <20130528162325.GD4678@netboy> <02874ECE860811409154E81DA85FBB58564F1C88@ORSMSX104.amr.corp.intel.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Cc: "Vick, Matthew" , "netdev@vger.kernel.org" , David Miller , "e1000-devel@lists.sourceforge.net" , "Kirsher, Jeffrey T" To: "Keller, Jacob E" Return-path: Received: from mail-ee0-f44.google.com ([74.125.83.44]:41856 "EHLO mail-ee0-f44.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S935074Ab3E2HYv (ORCPT ); Wed, 29 May 2013 03:24:51 -0400 Received: by mail-ee0-f44.google.com with SMTP id b57so5207419eek.3 for ; Wed, 29 May 2013 00:24:50 -0700 (PDT) Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <02874ECE860811409154E81DA85FBB58564F1C88@ORSMSX104.amr.corp.intel.com> Sender: netdev-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On Tue, May 28, 2013 at 09:12:02PM +0000, Keller, Jacob E wrote: > > I think ethtool would be good, but what about using sysfs? The problem I see with ethtool is that configuring GPIOs (and these SDPs are really just GPIOs by a different name) is really the job of the device tree. But of course, most x86 users of the i210 don't have this option. Also, using ethtool or sysfs is not really attractive for embedded designs (let's not forget the poor embedded guys). I think we need to have a way to specify the pin functions at (or before) kernel boot time. Barring DT and kconfig, using a module parameter is the only way to accomplish this. Thanks, Richard