Subject: Re: Handling firmware versions
To: None <degroote@netbsd.org>
From: Quentin Garnier <cube@cubidou.net>
List: tech-kern
Date: 07/18/2007 23:36:51
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On Wed, Jul 18, 2007 at 11:08:28PM +0200, degroote@netbsd.org wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 18, 2007 at 10:23:14PM +0200, Quentin Garnier wrote:
> >=20
> > On Wed, Jul 18, 2007 at 09:33:18PM +0200, Joerg Sonnenberger wrote:
> > > On Wed, Jul 18, 2007 at 09:31:03PM +0200, Quentin Garnier wrote:
> > > > The way we handle firmwares in pkgsrc is just wrong.  We should have
> > > > only one package, that installs all the versions the kernel could
> > > > possibly ask for (which means the kernel asks for a specific versio=
n).
> > >=20
> > > Keep in mind that the firmware images are not only used by NetBSD.
> > > Please carefully consider this before changing any policy...
> >=20
> > There's a policy?  I'd actually like to set one...
>=20
> I understand what you mean and I agree. The current way we deal with
> firmware version is a pain, particulary when constructors decided to chan=
ge
> the firmware layout every two minors revision of firmware ...=20
>=20
> On other side, I don't think it is a good idea that the kernel ask for a
> specific version. In most of the case, new version of the firmware solves
> internal issues and doesn't need change in the driver. It may not be a
> problem in current but in the stable branche, we can't ask for people to
> patch by hand their kernel in order to use the new firmware.

Why not use a sysctl node then?  Or a symlink, or whatever, there are
many ways to solve that.

> On pkgsrc side, what I understand from your proposal is that you want to
> rename the firmware so we can retrieve the different versions of firmware.
> What joerg says I think is that other Os may not find the firmware file
> because it doesn't have the canonical name found in the default install.

Sure, but what matters is that we agree on something and stick to it.
When you update the package like you did, in a way that requires changes
to the kernel, you're not helping other OSes that might not have the
necessary kernel changes yet either...

--=20
Quentin Garnier - cube@cubidou.net - cube@NetBSD.org
"You could have made it, spitting out benchmarks
Owe it to yourself not to fail"
Amplifico, Spitting Out Benchmarks, Hometakes Vol. 2, 2005.

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