Re: maintainers/users of de(4), lmc(4) ?

[David Young <dyoung%pobox.com@localhost>]

On Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 08:42:09AM +0900, Izumi Tsutsui wrote:
> > > > Users, well, I've got some de hardware, and at least one machine that's
> > > > got one in routine use (used to be two, but the hardware broke in one,
> > > > and what I grabbed to replace it wasn't a de).
> > > 
> > > This is hardware that doesn't work with tlp?
> > 
> > I would like to know, too, whether anybody who is using de(4) cannot use
> > tlp(4), instead.  If not, why not?
> 
> http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-cats/2003/02/08/msg000114.html
> http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-cats/2005/06/04/msg000196.html
> http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-cats/2005/06/07/msg000197.html
> etc?
> 
> On the other hand, autonegothication of 21143-PC with SIA doesn't
> work with tlp(4), though I have not tried it with de(4).

My reading of this discussion is that a minor patch is necessary to make
Chris Gilbert's device work satisfactorily with tlp(4).  The same patch
helped Richard Earnshaw's device to work with tlp(4) where previously it
had not.  However, Richard's device does not work very well.  It seems
that his machine had other problems ("PCI/ISA malaise") that may have
been related.

The CVS history of sys/dev/mii/mii_bitbang.c indicates that the patch
still needs some work if it is not going to break other NICs:

  revision 1.9
  date: 2005/08/09 19:26:24;  author: chris;  state: Exp;  lines: +2 -8
  Remove changes to bitbang code for de devices to work as tlps on cats.
  
  I need to investigate a proper fix that doesn't break other platforms, eg:
  PR kern/30952
  ----------------------------
  revision 1.8
  date: 2005/08/07 17:47:22;  author: chris;  state: Exp;  lines: +5 -10
  Following feedback from thorpej, remove the #ifdef cats block, and update
  comment.
  
  All platforms will now send a change in direction, then the 32 MDO bits
  when synchronising with the phy.  Rather than sending the change in
  direction with the first MDO bit.
  ----------------------------
  revision 1.7
  date: 2005/08/06 23:40:39;  author: chris;  state: Exp;  lines: +13 -2
  Check in cats specific tweak to make older de cards work as tlp devices.
  
  With this tweak I've completed a full install from NFS of 3.99.7, using a
  card the previously didn't work as a tlp device.

BTW, kern/30952 describes stalls on vr(4). vr(4) is a notoriously
problematic driver that has had at least one fix for Tx stalls applied
in the mean time.  Maybe it is time to try it again with Chris's patch
in place?

Dave

-- 
David Young             OJC Technologies
dyoung%ojctech.com@localhost      Urbana, IL * (217) 278-3933