[LEDE-DEV] [RFC 2/3] ipq: Don't force selection of the IPQ4019 firmware.

[Ben Greear]

I don't have the energy to try to push something like this to the upstream kernel,
and little hope it would be accepted if I were to try.

I think modifying LEDE is more possible, but I have not made any
effort on this.  My interest is mainly with the firmware and
driver, and I hope that someone else can deal with the infrastructure
in LEDE to load the proper board file.

Thanks,
Ben

On 11/14/2017 04:35 PM, Matthew McClintock wrote:
> What ever came of this? Did something upstream or in LEDE/OpenWrt
> resolve what files should be loaded from where?
>
> -M
>
> On Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 11:38 AM, Ben Greear <greearb at candelatech.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 11/04/2017 08:14 AM, Christian Lamparter wrote:
>>>
>>> On Friday, November 3, 2017 8:15:00 PM CET Ben Greear wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 11/03/2017 05:58 PM, Christian Lamparter wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On Friday, November 3, 2017 5:05:39 PM CET greearb at candelatech.com
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> From: Ben Greear <greearb at candelatech.com>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This will allow us to select the CT IPQ4019 firmware instead if
>>>>>> desired.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Signed-off-by: Ben Greear <greearb at candelatech.com>
>>>>>> ---
>>>>>>  package/firmware/ipq-wifi/Makefile | 2 +-
>>>>>>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> diff --git a/package/firmware/ipq-wifi/Makefile
>>>>>> b/package/firmware/ipq-wifi/Makefile
>>>>>> index aec8bf2..31d0fbf 100644
>>>>>> --- a/package/firmware/ipq-wifi/Makefile
>>>>>> +++ b/package/firmware/ipq-wifi/Makefile
>>>>>> @@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ define Package/ipq-wifi-default
>>>>>>    SUBMENU:=ath10k IPQ4019 Boarddata
>>>>>>    SECTION:=firmware
>>>>>>    CATEGORY:=Firmware
>>>>>> -  DEPENDS:=@TARGET_ipq806x +ath10k-firmware-qca4019
>>>>>> +  DEPENDS:=@TARGET_ipq806x
>>>>>
>>>>> Hm, this would break the WIFI in the default configuration for the
>>>>> FritzBox 4040 image. Currently it only has a dependency on the
>>>>> ipq-wifi-fritz4040. (So it will end up without a firmware-5.bin)
>>>>>
>>>>> Please also note that the ipq-wifi boards need to overwrite the
>>>>> board-2.bin provided by the ath10k-firmware-qca4019(-ct) packages.
>>>>> So switching (or up-/downgrading) these wifi-firmwares will always
>>>>> require the (manual) reinstallation of the ipq-wifi board
>>>>> (if available).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Maybe have the custom board.data file named slightly differently
>>>> and then have an early fixup script to copy it into the proper place
>>>> on first boot?  And, we could hack the driver to look for a custom
>>>> board-2.bin first and just install both board-x.bin images.
>>>
>>> Depends, can you convince the ath10k upstream to do that?
>>
>>
>> Upstream is unlikely to accept such a patch, but I can at least
>> patch my driver, and we can patch lede's 'upstream' driver too if
>> we need to.
>>
>> We can also have a ath10k-pre-startup.sh that copies a custom board
>> file into place when starting LEDE, with no driver modifications needed
>> at all.  I think several targets do something like this already by grabbing
>> the board file
>> from a flash location on the AP, for instance.
>>
>>>>
>>>> And, can we have the IPQ boards select the stock 4019 firmware by default
>>>> but still allow it to be de-selected so CT firmware can be selected?
>>>>
>>>> Or if not, then I can call my firmware something different, and have my
>>>> driver look for it before the firmware-5.bin.
>>>
>>>
>>> I think there's a another way to do this. But it will require to break
>>> with
>>> the existing convention of adding the board-2.bin that comes with the
>>> firmware repository to the ath10k-firmware-qca4019 file.
>>>
>>> This way, the custom board-2.bin will stay in place when you switch/update
>>> the firmware-5.bin.
>>
>>
>> That seems fine to me.  Then targets could select a custom board file or
>> a stock board file, independent of the firmware and driver.
>>
>>>
>>> (The board-2.bin for the reference boards can simply be packaged just like
>>> one of the ipq-wifi board firmwares). And furhtermore, you could provide a
>>> "easy to use/install" custom ipq-wifi.ipk for the board-2.bin you
>>> currently
>>> host on your webside.
>>
>>
>> The only board-2.bin that I (might?) have on my web site is one modified for
>> some newer 9984 NICs from Compex.  The 'ath10k-ct' firmware target just uses
>> the
>> default board-2.bin file from upstream.
>>
>> I guess someone could host/build ath10k-ct firmware ipks, but I think that
>> might
>> be more useful for some more standard LEDE build-farm to host since the goal
>> is to
>> have all of this in LEDE anyway.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Ben
>>
>> --
>> Ben Greear <greearb at candelatech.com>
>> Candela Technologies Inc  http://www.candelatech.com
>>
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>


-- 
Ben Greear <greearb at candelatech.com>
Candela Technologies Inc  http://www.candelatech.com