Re: git: cf94672363d6 - main - rtw88/rtw89: remove local firmware.

From: Warner Losh <imp_at_bsdimp.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2023 15:09:12 UTC
On Thu, Sep 7, 2023, 7:45 AM Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@freebsd.org> wrote:

> On Thu, 7 Sep 2023, Warner Losh wrote:
>
> > On Thu, Sep 7, 2023 at 6:36 AM Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@freebsd.org> wrote:
> >
> >> On Wed, 6 Sep 2023, John Baldwin wrote:
> >>
> >>> On 9/6/23 12:06 PM, Bjoern A. Zeeb wrote:
> >>>> On Wed, 6 Sep 2023, John Baldwin wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> On 9/5/23 2:16 PM, Bjoern A. Zeeb wrote:
> >>>>>> The branch main has been updated by bz:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> URL:
> >>>>>>
> >>
> https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=cf94672363d6638b7268c05b4628b62bbfc8dbe5
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> commit cf94672363d6638b7268c05b4628b62bbfc8dbe5
> >>>>>> Author:     Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@FreeBSD.org>
> >>>>>> AuthorDate: 2023-06-08 21:35:09 +0000
> >>>>>> Commit:     Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@FreeBSD.org>
> >>>>>> CommitDate: 2023-09-05 21:13:18 +0000
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>       rtw88/rtw89: remove local firmware.
> >>>>>>            Remove firmware from src/ in favor of the ports/packages
> >> and
> >>>>>> fwget(8).
> >>>>>>       This will allow us to shrink the size of src (and installed
> >>>>>> modules).
> >>>>>>       Update the rtw88 man page to reflect the change.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> How does this interfact with doing an install to a machine over one
> of
> >>>>> these
> >>>>> interfaces?
> >>>>
> >>>> That's nothing we support.  At least we do not support netboot over
> wifi
> >>>> currently, so you'll always need another install media.
> >>>>
> >>>> How's the "bootstrapping" going to work if wireless is the only
> network
> >>>> option?
> >>>
> >>> To be clear, I was discussing the case you use a USB memstick, but
> fetch
> >>> the base system and packages over the network.
> >>
> >> Understood.  Not sure we actually support the former;  I guess I am not
> >> using the installer too much.
> >>
> >>
> >>> Or at least you need to
> >>> install pkg over the network, but you need pkg to install the firmware
> >>> so you can bring up the network which you did address, though it seems
> >>> something we plan to fix in the future so won't be in 14.0?
> >>
> >> Yes.  We plan to sort this out but I'd say it's unlikely for 14.0.
> >>
> >> And to be clear, it was me who raised exactly these "botstrapping"
> >> installer concerns in the first place.
> >>
> >> At the moment we will first need stable drivers to be able to do any
> >> networking in first place.   Once that is sorted, installing mobile
> >> devices with just them and no other means of networking will be
> >> addressed.
> >>
> >
> > Yea, the rtw88 driver is stable enough for me to do a network install
> > over it. So now people with -current can't do that any more and have
> > to do hokey things to get the firmware or other packages to the laptop
> > before they can do anything. This is not really going to make people
> > happy and will generate a fair number of complaints.
> >
> > I'd assume some other "fallout" will improve some installer bits along
> >> when this happens and that we'll want enough and brought testing for it.
> >>
> >
> > It sounds rather premature to remove it from -current if there's no
> support
> > in the installer, and nothing in place that adds the packages to the
> > installation
> > media with no firm plans or timelines to address that.
>
> You do understand that I also disconnected rtw88 from main?
>
> Please read the announcement and/or fill the gap.


It is no less premature. It's the first step without a clear timeline.
You've removed functionality that was present and my point is still valid.

It's even worse because now I have to add this driver back when I upgrade
my laptop or I have to find the USB dongle I was using.

This just doesn't make any sense to me.

Warner


/bz
>
> --
> Bjoern A. Zeeb                                                     r15:7