Re-writing SMC91111 Ethernet driver

[Tom Rini]

On Sat, Feb 18, 2023 at 11:30:28PM +0000, Robert Catherall wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> The SMC91111 Ethernet driver was removed in commit
> 
> ecf1d2741d95f5f84e31dc1d0bef149d8ff1f0a3
> 
> because it had not been converted to DM_ETH.
> 
> I would be interested in doing the conversion and re-instating the driver to
> support Arm FastModel virtual prototypes (and Juno r0 hardware while I'm at
> it). I had a couple of questions
> 
> 1. Is there any advantage or preference for starting with the previous code
> or am I free to start from another point?
> 
> My inclination was to copy'n'paste something like the SMC91x driver in order
> to get the outline, CONFIG_OF and DM_ETH framework correct and then fill out
> the actual moving parts with code from the previous implementation (or the
> Linux kernel if that has been updated more recently).
> 
> 2. Can I ignore all the original CONFIG_ options and just write a driver
> that supports one fixed combination of those options and is only intended to
> work in the vexpress64 config?
> 
> Based on the commit above it was only still in use on two armltd platforms:
> integrator (splendidly obsolete) and vexpress64 (which covers my two cases).
> 
> I don't want to unnecessarily disadvantage another platform that could
> otherwise benefit from re-enabling the device again, but equally it would be
> nice to avoid the various macros for different types of access especially if
> I can't test them, and they are unlikely to ever be used.

Sorry for the late reply.  Yes, please feel free to write a driver that
feeds the needs you have today for it, and not feel bound by what was
used previously.

-- 
Tom
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 659 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://lists.denx.de/pipermail/u-boot/attachments/20230301/ca2dfc6b/attachment.sig>