Hi! fw_version field in ethtool -i does not suit modern needs with 31 characters being quite limiting on more complex systems. There is also no distinction between the running and flashed versions of the firmware.
Since the driver information pertains to the entire device, rather than a particular netdev, it seems wise to move it do devlink, at the same time fixing the aforementioned issues. The new API allows exposing the device serial number and versions of the components of the card - both hardware, firmware (running and flashed). Driver authors can choose descriptive identifiers for the version fields. A few version identifiers which seemed relevant for most devices have been added to the global devlink header. Example: $ devlink dev info pci/0000:05:00.0 pci/0000:05:00.0: driver nfp serial_number 16240145 versions: fixed: board.id AMDA0099-0001 board.rev 07 board.vendor SMA board.model carbon running: fw.mgmt: 010156.010156.010156 fw.cpld: 0x44 fw.app: sriov-2.1.16 stored: fw.mgmt: 010158.010158.010158 fw.cpld: 0x44 fw.app: sriov-2.1.20 Last patch also includes a compat code for ethtool. If driver reports no fw_version via the traditional ethtool API, ethtool can call into devlink and try to cram as many versions as possible into the 31 characters. v2: - rebase. this non-RFC, v3 some would say: - add three more versions in the NFP patches; - add last patch (ethool compat) - Andrew & Michal. RFCv2: - use one driver op; - allow longer serial number; - wrap the skb into an opaque request struct; - add some common identifier into the devlink header. Jakub Kicinski (7): devlink: add device information API devlink: add version reporting to devlink info API nfp: devlink: report driver name and serial number nfp: devlink: report fixed versions nfp: nsp: add support for versions command nfp: devlink: report the running and flashed versions ethtool: add compat for devlink info .../net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_devlink.c | 145 +++++++++++++ .../ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfpcore/nfp_nsp.c | 61 ++++++ .../ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfpcore/nfp_nsp.h | 20 ++ include/net/devlink.h | 59 +++++ include/uapi/linux/devlink.h | 10 + net/core/devlink.c | 204 ++++++++++++++++++ net/core/ethtool.c | 7 + 7 files changed, 506 insertions(+) -- 2.19.2