[PATCH] dt: bindings: Add a generic ethernet device binding

[Hans de Goede]

Hi,

On 15-07-16 08:40, Hans de Goede wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On 15-07-16 01:17, David Miller wrote:
>> From: Hans de Goede <hdegoede at redhat.com>
>> Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2016 12:20:04 +0200
>>
>>> On some boards (android tablets) different batches use different sdio
>>> wifi modules. This is not a problem since sdio is a discoverable bus,
>>> so we only need to describe and activate the mmc controller in dt and
>>> then the kernel will automatically load the right driver.
>>>
>>> But sometimes it is useful to specify certain ethernet properties for
>>> these "unknown" sdio devices, specifically we want the boot-loader
>>> to be able to set "local-mac-address" as some of these sdio wifi
>>> modules come without an eeprom / without a factory programmed mac
>>> address.
>>>
>>> Since the exact device is unknown (differs per batch) we cannot use
>>> a wifi-chip specific compatible. This commit adds a new
>>> "generic,ethernet" binding for use in dt-nodes describing such an
>>> unknown ethernet device.
>>>
>>> Cc: Maxime Ripard <maxime.ripard at free-electrons.com>
>>> Signed-off-by: Hans de Goede <hdegoede at redhat.com>
>>
>> Precedence exists for a "system ethernet address" as far back as the
>> original sparc device tree implementation, so please just specify it
>> that way rather than trying to force having to make an alias or
>> reference to it from a specific device.
>
> Some boards where this is applicable have both a wired and a wireless
> ethernet, so one global setting will not work.

And besides that, everything used in this binding already exists, it
just adds a new "generic,ethernet" compatible, because e.g. the mmc
bindings specify that the node describing a sdio function _must_
have a compatible, and as explained in some cases we cannot use
a compatible for a specific wifi chip since different batches use
different wifi modules.

About the use of "generic,ethernet" looking at the simple-framebuffer
binding I guess it should be just "ethernet".

Regards,

Hans