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

[Mike Frysinger <vapier@gentoo.org>]

On Tuesday 12 May 2009 04:48:28 Detlev Zundel wrote:
> >> > > how do set a mac for NFS Rootfs?
> >> >
> >> > use initramfs
> >>
> >> don't you think it's overkill to use a initramfs just for set a mac
> >> address??
> >
> > no, i think it's perfectly reasonable.  and considering you have no other
> > option here that'll get merged ...
>
> Can you please explain to me, why you think it to be reasonable to
> demand providing an initramfs in the order of 100s of k to set an
> attribute of a hardware device which has its own driver?
>
> Apart from being constantly repeated, I do not understand this reasoning
> at all.  My (old-school) belief was that an operating system deals with
> abstracting the hardware thus userspace does not need to (nor should)
> know too many hw details.
>
> Knowing that there is not a clear distinction line, I still fail to see
> why a mac address of a network interface should be handled by
> userspace.  Can someone enlighten me here?

no one said it must be done in userspace, that was just one method for doing 
it.  read the FAQ for other possibilities.
-mike