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Subject: Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH 00/16] Add a -netdev option
From: Mark McLoughlin <markmc@redhat.com>
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Date: Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:09:35 +0100
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To: Stefan Weil <weil@mail.berlios.de>
Cc: qemu-devel@nongnu.org

Hi Stefan,

On Thu, 2009-10-08 at 22:29 +0200, Stefan Weil wrote:

> Hi Mark,
> 
> today, qemu's ethernet devices are a fixed combination of
> MAC (Media Access Controller) and PHY (Physical Layer).
> 
> Real hardware is different: the controllers provide a MAC,
> and many provide a PHY, too, but all controllers allow
> one or even several external PHY(s).
> 
> Most (or all?) controllers use the same standard interface
> to address their PHY (internal or external), something
> which is completely missing today in qemu.
> 
> A better solution would use separate code for MAC and
> PHY, so the controllers could share common code for the
> PHY.
> 
> Configuration of a different PHY should be possible,
> so users can run a system emulation of different
> MAC-PHY combinations.
> 
> In addition to the PHY type, a PHY needs attributes
> (link speed and link status).
> 
> Maybe you can address these requirements in your
> redesign.

Doesn't that sound like something purely for the device model itself, as
opposed to the core packet handling code?

Thanks,
Mark.