On Wed, Mar 04, 2026 at 07:16:46AM -0800, Jakub Kicinski wrote: > The library to create tests for both NIC HW and netdevsim has existed > for almost a year. netdevsim-only tests we get increasingly feel like > a waste, we should try to write tests that work both on netdevsim and > real HW. Refine the guidance accordingly. > > Signed-off-by: Jakub Kicinski <[email protected]> > --- > CC: [email protected] > CC: [email protected] > CC: [email protected] > CC: [email protected]
Reviewed-by: Simon Horman <[email protected]> > --- > Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst | 10 ++++++++-- > 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) > > diff --git a/Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst > b/Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst > index 6bce4507d5d3..3aa13bc2405d 100644 > --- a/Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst > +++ b/Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst > @@ -479,8 +479,14 @@ netdevsim > > ``netdevsim`` is a test driver which can be used to exercise driver > configuration APIs without requiring capable hardware. > -Mock-ups and tests based on ``netdevsim`` are strongly encouraged when > -adding new APIs, but ``netdevsim`` in itself is **not** considered > +Mock-ups and tests based on ``netdevsim`` are encouraged when > +adding new APIs with complex logic in the stack. The tests should > +be written so that they can run both against ``netdevsim`` and a real > +device (see ``tools/testing/selftests/drivers/net/README.rst``). > +``netdevsim``-only tests should focus on testing corner cases > +and failure paths in the core which are hard to exercise with a real driver. > + > +``netdevsim`` in itself is **not** considered > a use case/user. You must also implement the new APIs in a real driver. I don't know if it's desirable, but the line wrapping could also be updated. > > We give no guarantees that ``netdevsim`` won't change in the future > -- > 2.53.0 >
