Philipp Hortmann <philipp.g.hortmann@xxxxxxxxx> writes: > origin of this question was the following patch series from Arnd Bergmann > [PATCH 00/10] Remove obsolete and orphaned wifi drivers > https://lore.kernel.org/linux-staging/20231023131953.2876682-1-arnd@xxxxxxxxxx/ > > Here the remaining files that use iw_handler_def: > drivers/net/ethernet/toshiba/ps3_gelic_wireless.c:static const struct > iw_handler_def gelic_wl_wext_handler_def = { > drivers/net/wireless/intel/ipw2x00/ipw2100.c:static const struct > iw_handler_def ipw2100_wx_handler_def; > drivers/net/wireless/intel/ipw2x00/ipw2100.c:static const struct > iw_handler_def ipw2100_wx_handler_def = { > drivers/net/wireless/intel/ipw2x00/ipw2200.c:static const struct > iw_handler_def ipw_wx_handler_def = { > drivers/staging/rtl8712/os_intfs.c: pnetdev->wireless_handlers = > (struct iw_handler_def *) > drivers/staging/rtl8712/rtl871x_ioctl.h:extern struct iw_handler_def > r871x_handlers_def; > drivers/staging/rtl8712/rtl871x_ioctl_linux.c:struct iw_handler_def > r871x_handlers_def = { > > > In this Email Greg writes over rtl8192e: > https://lore.kernel.org/linux-staging/2024100810-payback-suds-8c15@gregkh/ > "... > No staging driver should ever get in the way of api changes elsewhere in > the kernel, that's one of the rules of this part of the tree. So from > my opinion, it's fine to delete it now. It can always come back in a > new way later on. > ..." > > So it should not be an issue to remove rtl8712. > > Stefan Lippers-Hollmann was one year ago still using the ipw2200. > https://lore.kernel.org/linux-staging/20231024014302.0a0b79b0@mir/ > > Here my opinion why I think we should reconsider this: > > I really like to use old hardware. One of my computers is from trash > and the other one is bought for 50€ three years ago. But non of my > hardware is from before 2012. Do we as a community really need to > support hardware from 2003 in kernel 6.13 for WLAN that evolved so > rapidly? I do not think so. > > People around me are complaining that the 2,4GHz WLAN is difficult to > use because so many devices are using it. Such slow devices consume a > lot of time to send and receive the data and block therefore other > devices. > > The longterm kernels will still support this hardware for years. > > Please explain to our very high value resources (Maintainers, > Developers with wext and mac80211 expierience) that you cannot find > any other solution that is within technical possibility and budget > (USB WLAN Stick or exchange of WLAN module) and that they need to > invest their time for maintenance. > Here the example of invested time from Johannes Berg: > https://lore.kernel.org/all/20241007213525.8b2d52b60531.I6a27aaf30bded9a0977f07f47fba2bd31a3b3330@changeid/ > > I cannot ask the Linux kernel community to support my test hardware > just because I bought it some time ago. Rather, I have to show that I > use it for private or business purposes on a regular basis and that I > cannot easily change. > > Using this hardware is security wise not state of the art as WPA3 is > not supported. We put so much effort into security. Why not here? I didn't quite get what you are saying here, are you proposing that we should remove ancient drivers faster? -- https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/list/ https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/developers/documentation/submittingpatches
