[U-Boot] Initial environment variables

[ron_madrid at sbcglobal.net]

--- On Thu, 7/16/09, Ben Warren <biggerbadderben at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Ben Warren <biggerbadderben at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [U-Boot] Initial environment variables
> To: "Ron Madrid" <ron_madrid at sbcglobal.net>
> Cc: u-boot at lists.denx.de, "Mike Frysinger" <vapier at gentoo.org>
> Date: Thursday, July 16, 2009, 2:08 PM
> Ron Madrid wrote:
> > --- On Thu, 7/16/09, Mike Frysinger <vapier at gentoo.org>
> wrote:
> > 
> >   
> >> the board maintainer decides the default env
> values, not
> >> board users.  Ben's comment was probably on
> the assumption that you are in the
> >> latter category.
> >>     
> > 
> > Ah, that could be why.  Thankfully I am the
> maintainer for the board.  So I
> > am going to assume then that it would be OK for me to
> add these variable
> > settings to my board's include/configs file and submit
> a patch for it,
> > unless I here other objections.
> > 
> > Ron
> >   
> No, there should be no default net parameters, because
> you're making likely-bogus assumptions about the network
> that your board's going to go into.  Just because your
> LAN uses '192.168.0.x' doesn't mean anybody else's
> does.  It's even worse for MAC addresses - what if I
> buy two of your boards and plug them into the same
> switch?  If the addresses are identical all sorts of
> bad things can happen.  Not to mention that public MAC
> addresses are assigned (and paid for) and should be
> guaranteed to be unique.  And private (bit 41 set)
> addresses are used in many different ways.  One systems
> company that I worked at would program these dynamically
> based on which shelf/slot the board was plugged into. 
> It's best to fail loudly (a printf stating that MAC
> addresses haven't been programmed) than to silently cause
> network issues.  I could go on and on, but hopefully
> you get the point.

I do understand your points.  I am confused then as to why there are
around 100 different board configurations that include these variables.

Ron