Re: [PATCH 4/4]: powerpc/cell spidernet ethtool -i version number info.

[Olof Johansson <olof@lixom.net>]

On Fri, Aug 11, 2006 at 01:50:19PM -0500, James K Lewis wrote:
>  Hi Olof,
> 
>   There are several reasons why an Ethernet driver should have an up to 
> date version number:
> 
> 1. Customers like to see they are really getting a new version.
> 
> 2. It makes it easier for support personnel (me in this case) to see which 
> driver they have. Sure, sometimes I can talk them thru doing a "sum" on 
> the .ko and all that, but why not just use the version number? That's what 
> it is for. And no, you can't just assume they have the version that came 
> with the kernel they are running. It doesn't work that way.
> 
> 3. It makes bug reporting easier. 
> 
> 4. I have already run into too many problems and wasted too much time 
> working with drivers when the number was NOT getting updated. 

Thanks for the info, Jim.

Sounds like it's most useful if a customer (or distro) takes the driver
out of the tree and run it with a different kernel, i.e. when kernel
and driver versions no longer go together. Makes sense.


-Olof