[PATCH] epic100: remove module version and switch to module_pci_driver

[PATCH] epic100: remove module version and switch to module_pci_driver

[Ethan Nelson-Moore]

The module version is useless, and the only thing the epic_init routine
did besides pci_register_driver was to print the version.

Signed-off-by: Ethan Nelson-Moore <enelsonmoore@gmail.com>
---
 drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c | 35 +----------------------------
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 34 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c
index 45f703fe0e5a..389659db06a8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@
 */
 
 #define DRV_NAME        "epic100"
-#define DRV_VERSION     "2.1"
-#define DRV_RELDATE     "Sept 11, 2006"
 
 /* The user-configurable values.
    These may be modified when a driver module is loaded.*/
@@ -89,12 +87,6 @@ static int rx_copybreak;
 #include <linux/uaccess.h>
 #include <asm/byteorder.h>
 
-/* These identify the driver base version and may not be removed. */
-static char version[] =
-DRV_NAME ".c:v1.11 1/7/2001 Written by Donald Becker <becker@scyld.com>";
-static char version2[] =
-"  (unofficial 2.4.x kernel port, version " DRV_VERSION ", " DRV_RELDATE ")";
-
 MODULE_AUTHOR("Donald Becker <becker@scyld.com>");
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("SMC 83c170 EPIC series Ethernet driver");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
@@ -329,11 +321,6 @@ static int epic_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 	void *ring_space;
 	dma_addr_t ring_dma;
 
-/* when built into the kernel, we only print version if device is found */
-#ifndef MODULE
-	pr_info_once("%s%s\n", version, version2);
-#endif
-
 	card_idx++;
 
 	ret = pci_enable_device(pdev);
@@ -1393,7 +1380,6 @@ static void netdev_get_drvinfo (struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_drvinfo *
 	struct epic_private *np = netdev_priv(dev);
 
 	strscpy(info->driver, DRV_NAME, sizeof(info->driver));
-	strscpy(info->version, DRV_VERSION, sizeof(info->version));
 	strscpy(info->bus_info, pci_name(np->pci_dev), sizeof(info->bus_info));
 }
 
@@ -1564,23 +1550,4 @@ static struct pci_driver epic_driver = {
 	.driver.pm	= &epic_pm_ops,
 };
 
-
-static int __init epic_init (void)
-{
-/* when a module, this is printed whether or not devices are found in probe */
-#ifdef MODULE
-	pr_info("%s%s\n", version, version2);
-#endif
-
-	return pci_register_driver(&epic_driver);
-}
-
-
-static void __exit epic_cleanup (void)
-{
-	pci_unregister_driver (&epic_driver);
-}
-
-
-module_init(epic_init);
-module_exit(epic_cleanup);
+module_pci_driver(epic_driver);
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH] epic100: remove module version and switch to module_pci_driver

[Simon Horman]

On Wed, Dec 10, 2025 at 11:49:22PM -0800, Ethan Nelson-Moore wrote:
> The module version is useless, and the only thing the epic_init routine
> did besides pci_register_driver was to print the version.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Ethan Nelson-Moore <enelsonmoore@gmail.com>
> ---
>  drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c | 35 +----------------------------

Hi Ethan,

Thanks for your patch.

I note that author information is remains present in a comment at the top
of this file.  And I agree that not having this kind of information is
current best practice (and has been for quite some time AFAIK).  So I think
this patch is a good way to go.

Reviewed-by: Simon Horman <horms@kernel.org>

However, I also think that this is net-next material.

It's best to make that clear by targeting the net-next tree like this.

Subject: [PATCH net-next] ...

It usually isn't necessary to repost a patch just to address this.
But as it happens net-next is currently closed. So I'd like to
ask you to repost this once it re-opens.

## Form letter - net-next-closed

The merge window for v6.19 has begun and therefore net-next has closed
for new drivers, features, code refactoring and optimizations. We are
currently accepting bug fixes only.

Please repost when net-next reopens.

Due to a combination of the merge-window, travel commitments of the
maintainers, and the holiday season, net-next will re-open after
2nd January.

RFC patches sent for review only are welcome at any time.

See: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/next/process/maintainer-netdev.html#development-cycle

-- 
pw-bot: defer

RE: [PATCH] epic100: remove module version and switch to module_pci_driver

[Sai Krishna Gajula]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ethan Nelson-Moore <enelsonmoore@gmail.com>
> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2025 1:19 PM
> To: netdev@vger.kernel.org
> Cc: Ethan Nelson-Moore <enelsonmoore@gmail.com>
> Subject: [PATCH] epic100: remove module version and switch to
> module_pci_driver
> 
> The module version is useless, and the only thing the epic_init routine did
> besides pci_register_driver was to print the version. Signed-off-by: Ethan
> Nelson-Moore <enelsonmoore@ gmail. com> ---
> drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100. c | 35 +----------------------------
> The module version is useless, and the only thing the epic_init routine did
> besides pci_register_driver was to print the version.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Ethan Nelson-Moore <enelsonmoore@gmail.com>
> ---
>  drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c | 35 +----------------------------
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 34 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c
> b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c
> index 45f703fe0e5a..389659db06a8 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/epic100.c
> @@ -26,8 +26,6 @@
>  */
> 
>  #define DRV_NAME        "epic100"
> -#define DRV_VERSION     "2.1"
> -#define DRV_RELDATE     "Sept 11, 2006"
> 
>  /* The user-configurable values.
>     These may be modified when a driver module is loaded.*/ @@ -89,12
> +87,6 @@ static int rx_copybreak;  #include <linux/uaccess.h>  #include
> <asm/byteorder.h>
> 
> -/* These identify the driver base version and may not be removed. */ -static
> char version[] = -DRV_NAME ".c:v1.11 1/7/2001 Written by Donald Becker
> <becker@scyld.com>"; -static char version2[] = -"  (unofficial 2.4.x kernel port,
> version " DRV_VERSION ", " DRV_RELDATE ")";
> -
>  MODULE_AUTHOR("Donald Becker <becker@scyld.com>");
> MODULE_DESCRIPTION("SMC 83c170 EPIC series Ethernet driver");
> MODULE_LICENSE("GPL"); @@ -329,11 +321,6 @@ static int
> epic_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
>  	void *ring_space;
>  	dma_addr_t ring_dma;
> 
> -/* when built into the kernel, we only print version if device is found */ -
> #ifndef MODULE
> -	pr_info_once("%s%s\n", version, version2);
> -#endif
> -
>  	card_idx++;
> 
>  	ret = pci_enable_device(pdev);
> @@ -1393,7 +1380,6 @@ static void netdev_get_drvinfo (struct net_device
> *dev, struct ethtool_drvinfo *
>  	struct epic_private *np = netdev_priv(dev);
> 
>  	strscpy(info->driver, DRV_NAME, sizeof(info->driver));
> -	strscpy(info->version, DRV_VERSION, sizeof(info->version));
>  	strscpy(info->bus_info, pci_name(np->pci_dev), sizeof(info-
> >bus_info));  }
> 
> @@ -1564,23 +1550,4 @@ static struct pci_driver epic_driver = {
>  	.driver.pm	= &epic_pm_ops,
>  };
> 
> -
> -static int __init epic_init (void)
> -{
> -/* when a module, this is printed whether or not devices are found in probe
> */ -#ifdef MODULE
> -	pr_info("%s%s\n", version, version2);
> -#endif
> -
> -	return pci_register_driver(&epic_driver);
> -}
> -
> -
> -static void __exit epic_cleanup (void)
> -{
> -	pci_unregister_driver (&epic_driver);
> -}
> -
> -
> -module_init(epic_init);
> -module_exit(epic_cleanup);
> +module_pci_driver(epic_driver);
> --
> 2.43.0
> 
One downside is, users who previously relied on the printed epic100 version strings in dmesg, will no longer see them. 
Reviewed-by: Sai Krishna <saikrishnag@marvell.com>

Re: [PATCH] epic100: remove module version and switch to module_pci_driver

[Francois Romieu]

Simon Horman <horms@kernel.org> :
[...]
> I note that author information is remains present in a comment at the top
> of this file.  And I agree that not having this kind of information is
> current best practice (and has been for quite some time AFAIK).  So I think
> this patch is a good way to go.

The part below may still be relevant:

        This driver is for the SMC83c170/175 "EPIC" series, as used on the
        SMC EtherPower II 9432 PCI adapter, and several CardBus cards.

Anything else at the top of the file was a tribute to Donald Becker's work
before he stopped contributing to mainline drivers, more than 20 years ago,
in a pre-NAPI era. NAPI support for this driver was coined together in 2004
and Donald Becker was already silent on netdev for quite some time IIRC.

Go for it.

Acked-by: Francois Romieu <romieu@fr.zoreil.com>

Re: [PATCH] epic100: remove module version and switch to module_pci_driver

[Francois Romieu]

Sai Krishna Gajula <saikrishnag@marvell.com> :
[...]
> One downside is, users who previously relied on the printed epic100 version strings in dmesg, will no longer see them. 
It may be called a feature so that devs who previously relied on users hear
them again.

There is also a user noticeable change in ethtool_drvinfo.

User(s) of this hardware are probably able to cope anyway.

-- 
Ueimor