questions regarding removing the depencency on CONFIG_IEEE80211

[Holger Schurig]

>> > 3. MAX_NETWORK_COUNT
> Again, the point of using already defined stuff was to take
> code out of libertas.  If this is in a header, it's pointless
> to move it back into libertas.

I haven't found something similar in linux/ieee80211.h, but I 
don't know if something with this meaning is in some other 
header file which I don't know. I just doubt it.

> I assume that the reason you 
> want to remove the dep on ieee80211 is to remove the
> requirement to load that module, which moving this define back
> to libertas wouldn't accomplish.

And the reason that some people want to remove the old ieee80211 
code from the kernel source "really soon now" :-)

> If you'd like to propose moving this define to some other
> shared header that would be better (linux/ieee80211.h?). 
> Libertas is not the only driver that uses this define (ipw*,
> airo, libertas).

Okay, if other's don't object I can do that.


> > 4. DEFAULT_MAX_SCAN_AGE
> No, but it does age the scan results after 15 seconds or
> something.  Or at least it should.  It shouldn't be throwing
> any AP in the scan list away until it's 15 seconds old.  This
> define was picked because it was pointless to create yet
> another define when there was already a usable and established
> one.

If I understand you correctly, then this constant should end up 
in linux/ieee80211.h as well?


> > 7. RADIOTAP
> >
> > Libertas contains lot's of code for it's monitoring mode,
> > which uses radiotap. It used "struct net_device
> > *rtap_net_dev" and "struct ieee80211_device *ieee". It
> > contains code like
> >
> >    priv->rtap_net_dev = alloc_ieee80211(0);
> >    priv->ieee = netdev_priv(priv->rtap_net_dev);
> >
> > and I don't have any knowledge about radiotap and how to
> > substitue the alloc_ieee80211(). All I could currently to is
> > to put those sections into #ifdef CONFIG_IEEE80211.
>
> Javier might have more comments on this.

I actually have a WIP patch that removes the ieee80211 
dependency, it just clashes with my WIP 
patch "new-scan.patch" :-)

The patch applies, compiles sparse-clean and is checkpatch clean, 
so all is well ---- except that it completely disables monitor 
mode via radiotap. Maybe I add the bunches you said and the ask 
Javier to take things over, if he wants & has time. Or I split 
the patch into things that can be committed today and only 
remove ieee80211-dependency halfway.

But then again, ieee80211 is still in the kernel, so there's no 
haste in making libertas ready for the post-ieee80211 time. So I 
think I'll wait until David's patches settled.