From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1760737Ab3EGE4g (ORCPT ); Tue, 7 May 2013 00:56:36 -0400 Received: from mail-pb0-f54.google.com ([209.85.160.54]:60924 "EHLO mail-pb0-f54.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1757107Ab3EGE4e (ORCPT ); Tue, 7 May 2013 00:56:34 -0400 From: "Michael D. Setzer II" To: Greg KH , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Date: Tue, 07 May 2013 14:56:29 +1000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Subject: Re: Kernel Firmware Support Message-ID: <5188897D.15662.1AD368@msetzerii.gmail.com> In-reply-to: <20130507024750.GA26639@kroah.com> References: <51885C8A.28146.10AA3F@msetzerii.gmail.com>, <20130507024750.GA26639@kroah.com> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (4.63) Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-description: Mail message body Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On 6 May 2013 at 19:47, Greg KH wrote: Date sent: Mon, 6 May 2013 19:47:50 -0700 From: Greg KH To: "Michael D. Setzer II" Copies to: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Kernel Firmware Support > On Tue, May 07, 2013 at 11:44:42AM +1000, Michael D. Setzer II wrote: > > Looking for method to best support users firmware needs within > > the kernel. > > > > Have a disk-image project that users kernel.org kernels, and have > > had users that require firmware that is not included in the > > kernel.org source. I've been able to find it in linux-firmware.git and > > then manually adding it to the kernel.org firmware directory and > > then modifying the Makefile. > > Use the linux-firmware package, all of the distros package it up for you > automatically, and install it in the correct place, so it should "just > work". > > What is failing for you when you use the firmware package? > First, Thanks for the quick reply. The problem is this isn't using a distro build. My project (G4L) uses a number of kernels from kernel.org and I try to include as many of the nic and other devices in the kernel to make it support hardware that is outside my control. I've had users with bnx2x hardware that requires firmware that is not part of the kernel.org source code, and have manuaully added it by putting the .fw file in the subdirectory of firmware and modifying the Makefile. Then building the kernel includes that additional firmware in the about 8M kernel file that the user selects from the CD boot process. The ideal is to be able to boot from the cd, or load the kernel with its filesystem to be able to do partition or disk image backups, but it must be able to use the hardware to access the disks and in most cases the nic. Without the firmware these bnx2x nics don't work. For awhile I've been manually adding these two firmwares ./bnx2x/bnx2x-e2-7.2.51.0.fw ./bnx2/bnx2-mips-09-6.2.1b.fw But yesterday, I got a message from a different user with screen captures that showed failure of loading the firmware below. Actually, one screen shot with the 7.0.23.0 and another with the 7.0.29.0. Wasn't sure, so I had added all three of th 7.0.x group to a test build of my kernels. Is only the latest needed? ./bnx2x/bnx2x-e1h-7.0.23.0.fw ./bnx2x/bnx2x-e1h-7.0.29.0.fw ./bnx2x/bnx2x-e1h-7.0.20.0.fw I don't have access to any hardware with these bnx2? devices, so have to get feedback from users. The previous additions of firmware solved the problems, but just looking for the best way to solve it. Thanks again. > thanks, > > greg k-h +----------------------------------------------------------+ Michael D. Setzer II - Computer Science Instructor Guam Community College Computer Center mailto:mikes@kuentos.guam.net mailto:msetzerii@gmail.com http://www.guam.net/home/mikes Guam - Where America's Day Begins G4L Disk Imaging Project maintainer http://sourceforge.net/projects/g4l/ +----------------------------------------------------------+ http://setiathome.berkeley.edu (Original) Number of Seti Units Returned: 19,471 Processing time: 32 years, 290 days, 12 hours, 58 minutes (Total Hours: 287,489) BOINC@HOME CREDITS SETI 14672667.574611 | EINSTEIN 11160884.209852 ROSETTA 7189167.439443 | ABC 15954188.106838