Re: [PATCH net 1/2] dt-bindings: net: dsa: realtek: cleanup compatible strings

[Luiz Angelo Daros de Luca <luizluca@gmail.com>]

> On Sat, Apr 16, 2022 at 8:25 AM Luiz Angelo Daros de Luca
> <luizluca@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Compatible strings are used to help the driver find the chip ID/version
> > register for each chip family. After that, the driver can setup the
> > switch accordingly. Keep only the first supported model for each family
> > as a compatible string and reference other chip models in the
> > description.
> >
> > CC: devicetree@vger.kernel.org
> > Link: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20220414014055.m4wbmr7tdz6hsa3m@bang-olufsen.dk/
> > Signed-off-by: Luiz Angelo Daros de Luca <luizluca@gmail.com>
>
> OK, I suppose we know that Realtek has always maintained the
> ID numbers in the hardware? Otherwise we will end up where
> bindings/arm/primecell.yaml is: hardware ID numbers that were
> supposed to be updated but weren't, so now both DT and the
> kernel has to go through all kinds of loops and hoops to make it
> work by encoding the number that should have been in the
> hardware is instead in the device tree...

Thanks, Linus. The rtl8367c driver seems to depend on information
retrieved from registers, mainly chip id/ver. If they forget to update
a chip id/version, it might be the case that it does not really matter
from the driver's point of view.
Anyway, if deemed to be necessary, adding a compatible string is much
easier than removing one after a kernel is released.

Regards,

Luiz