RFI: Ethernet driver ported from Linux

[Alan Garfield]

On Thu, 2007-04-19 at 11:56 +0400, Yar Tikhiy wrote:
>  
> > Apart from using fake MAC addresses, I don't think so.
> 
> I don't understand the concept of a fake MAC address, sorry.
> The classic Ethernet is a broadcast medium by design, so a very
> primitive NIC can just receive all traffic and let the driver or
> network stack decide if the host wants a particular frame.  On
> output, the network stack can usually put any source MAC address
> into the frame -- it's true for the most of Ethernet network
> interfaces.  So MAC addresses are always "fake" in a sense, as
> neither the hardware nor the medium design enforces them.

You're right. I don't fully understand quite what's happening behind the
scene it would seem.

> If I understand your case right, the two processors, CPU and SP,
> share a hardware buffer, in which they can put some data for the
> other side, e.g., an Ethernet frame, and then prod the other side
> with an interrupt.  That fits the Ethernet model ideally, so there
> should be no need for hacks unless the other side, the SP running
> a special Linux, takes the whole thing wrong.

Again, you're correct. The Linux driver does have a certain 'quality' to
it, but otherwise it should work as you've said.

Alan.