[U-Boot-Users] bootloader MAC

[Wolfgang Denk]

In message <DCEAAC0833DD314AB0B58112AD99B93B0189DE21 at ismail.innsys.innovsys.com> you wrote:
>
> One situation it is better (not that I have seen this used) is if the
> ethernet driver needs to reset the hardware ethernet. If it doesn't know
> the MAC, you are now without a MAC address.
> 
> It also means you depend on the state of the hardware. You cannot jut
> issue a full reset to the etherner chip, and set it up fully from there.

Right. And one important area where this plays a role in real life is
when you have to optimize power consumption on your system (like when
runningfrom batteries), and you power on the ethernet port only  when
you  want  to use it. Now don't tell me that you want to reaboot your
system in such a situation.

It does not matter where the Linux driver is grabbing the MAC address
from - from a EEPROM,  or  from  the  U-Boto  environment,  from  the
bd_info  struct  or  from some OF tree - fact is, that it's the Linux
driver's responsibility to program the MAC.

'nuff said.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
Software Engineering:  Embedded and Realtime Systems,  Embedded Linux
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