Re: [PATCH net-next] net: build all switchdev drivers as modules when the bridge is a module

[Vladimir Oltean <vladimir.oltean@nxp.com>]

On Tue, Aug 03, 2021 at 02:18:38PM +0300, Grygorii Strashko wrote:
> In my opinion, the problem is a bit bigger here than just fixing the build :(
> 
> In case, of ^cpsw the switchdev mode is kinda optional and in many cases
> (especially for testing purposes, NFS) the multi-mac mode is still preferable mode.
> 
> There were no such tight dependency between switchdev drivers and bridge core before and switchdev serviced as
> independent, notification based layer between them, so ^cpsw still can be "Y" and bridge can be "M".
> Now for mostly every kernel build configuration the CONFIG_BRIDGE will need to be set as "Y", or we will have
> to update drivers to support build with BRIDGE=n and maintain separate builds for networking vs non-networking testing.
> But is this enough? Wouldn't it cause 'chain reaction' required to add more and more "Y" options (like CONFIG_VLAN_8021Q)?
> 
> PS. Just to be sure we on the same page - ARM builds will be forced (with this patch) to have CONFIG_TI_CPSW_SWITCHDEV=m
> and so all our automation testing will just fail with omap2plus_defconfig.

I didn't realize it is such a big use case to have the bridge built as
module and cpsw as built-in. I will send a patch that converts the
switchdev_bridge_port_{,un}offload functions to simply emit a blocking
switchdev notifier which the bridge processes (a la SWITCHDEV_FDB_ADD_TO_BRIDGE),
therefore making switchdev and the bridge loosely coupled in order to
keep your setup the way it was before.