From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Peter Meerwald Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/2] smsc95xx: add module parameter to turn off NIC status leds Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 10:38:15 +0100 (CET) Message-ID: References: <1328699332-9024-1-git-send-email-pmeerw@pmeerw.net> <20120208.152624.1844477840327789365.davem@davemloft.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Cc: netdev@vger.kernel.org To: David Miller Return-path: Received: from ns.pmeerw.net ([87.118.82.44]:41113 "EHLO pmeerw.net" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751429Ab2BIJpH (ORCPT ); Thu, 9 Feb 2012 04:45:07 -0500 In-Reply-To: <20120208.152624.1844477840327789365.davem@davemloft.net> Sender: netdev-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: Hello David, > > add module parameter to allow to turn off NIC status leds (link, > > speed, activity); blinking LEDs are annoying outside the server room :) > No. Create a generic mechanism, perhaps via ethtool, for users to > configure something like this. > Otherwise the next driver that wants to provide this kind of knob > will add yet another module parameter with yet another name, and > this kind of ad-hoc set of interfaces absolutely sucks for users. I am not sure how many NICs provide that functionality, so a specific knob seemed reasonable I had a look at ethtool, there are ETHTOOL_GFLAGS and ETHTOOL_GPFLAGS (and the respective setters) which could be used -- but noone seems to use those for any purpose a private flag for LED control (via ETHTOOL_GPFLAGS) is pretty much the same knob as a module parameter, so not an option so the remaining option is to add something like ETHTOOL_GLEDCONTROL / ETHTOOL_SLEDCONTROL with likely only one user (smsc95xx) regards, p. -- Peter Meerwald +43-664-2444418 (mobile)