[U-Boot] [PATCH 1/4] net: extend the netdev to have a common way to set the hw mac address

[Jean-Christophe PLAGNIOL-VILLARD <plagnioj@jcrosoft.com>]

On 18:01 Mon 11 May     , Wolfgang Denk wrote:
> Dear Jean-Christophe PLAGNIOL-VILLARD,
> 
> In message <20090511142454.GB1812@game.jcrosoft.org> you wrote:
> >
> > > > Unfortunatly we need it to set the enetaddr in the register of the soc evenif
> > > > there is no ethernet transfer as for the macb on at91 or the dm9000.
> > > > This how the kernel pass the mac address for the bootloader.
> > > 
> > > You mean, this is how U-Boot is supposed to pass the MAC address to
> > > the Kernel, right?
> > > 
> > > Well, strictly speaking this is (1) in direct violation of U-Boot's
> > > design principles which say NOT to initialize things it does not use
> > > itself, and (2) a bug in the Linux kernel that should be fixed there.
> > > 
> > > In this case it may be just writing to  a  register  without  further
> > > initialization  of the hardware, but if we allow for that you can bet
> > > that tomorrow someone will  try  and  add  code  that  requires  more
> > > extensive initialization of the hardware for the same purpose, and he
> > > will argue that his code must go in because there is preexisting code
> > > that does the same.
> > this exactly what is done only write mac hw register
> > without init the eth stack
> > 
> > before we do need to init the mac and detect the phy if we want to store
> > now we have to call the set_hw_enetaddr
> 
> Yes, I perfectly understood this. You did not have to explain it
> again.
So no I do not understand why you nack it

Best Regards,
J.