From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S262776AbVGMU0x (ORCPT ); Wed, 13 Jul 2005 16:26:53 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262741AbVGMUYN (ORCPT ); Wed, 13 Jul 2005 16:24:13 -0400 Received: from mail.kroah.org ([69.55.234.183]:42399 "EHLO perch.kroah.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S262776AbVGMUXV (ORCPT ); Wed, 13 Jul 2005 16:23:21 -0400 Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 13:19:06 -0700 From: Greg KH To: Doug Warzecha Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [PATCH] char: Add Dell Systems Management Base driver Message-ID: <20050713201906.GB15573@kroah.com> References: <20050706001333.GA3569@sysman-doug.us.dell.com> <20050706041702.GA10253@kroah.com> <20050706155734.GA4271@sysman-doug.us.dell.com> <20050706160737.GC13115@kroah.com> <20050713005716.GA15298@sysman-doug.us.dell.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20050713005716.GA15298@sysman-doug.us.dell.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.8i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Tue, Jul 12, 2005 at 07:57:16PM -0500, Doug Warzecha wrote: > On Wed, Jul 06, 2005 at 11:07:37AM -0500, Greg KH wrote: > > On Wed, Jul 06, 2005 at 10:57:35AM -0500, Doug Warzecha wrote: > > > On Tue, Jul 05, 2005 at 11:17:03PM -0500, Greg KH wrote: > > > > > > > > I'm sure I commented on this driver already, yet, I never got a > > response > > > > and the code is not changed. Is there some reason for this? > > That's a > > > > sure way to prevent your patch from ever being applied... > > > > > > This is the first comment on the release function. The code has been > > > changing in response to comments from you and others. We'll continue > > > to make changes as needed. > > > > You never responded to those questions though, so determining if the > > code was changed is difficult. And I still see you using ioctls, which, > > if I remember, was what I asked about. > > > > The dcdbas driver has been shipping outside of the kernel tree for > some time now in support of the systems listed in the source and is > expected to support the listed systems for some time to come. The > driver has always used ioctls for Dell systems management software to > communicate with it. Well, your code has always been wrong then :) > The systems that are supported by the driver are > older Dell PowerEdge systems which contain Dell proprietary hardware > systems management interfaces. The latest shipping PowerEdge systems > support the standard IPMI hardware systems management interface which > can be accessed by the in-kernel standard IPMI driver (which uses > ioctls). Future PowerEdge systems are expected to support the IPMI > systems management interface as well. Then only support the "new" interface for newer systems. > Even though the dcdbas driver is not expected to be needed for future > PowerEdge systems, we would like to make it easier for Dell customers > to run Dell systems management software with the latest kernel on the > systems supported by the dcdbas driver by making the driver available > in the kernel tree. We would like to do that without impacting the > existing Dell systems management software for the older systems so > that we can focus our resources on the newer systems. > > Is it an absolute "must" that this driver not use ioctls? Yes. Sorry. thanks, greg k-h