[dpdk-dev] [PATCH 2/2] ethtool: add new library to provide ethtool-alike APIs

[Stephen Hemminger]

On Wed, 3 Jun 2015 02:09:39 +0000
"Andrew Harvey (agh)" <agh at cisco.com> wrote:

> I believe that their is value in this interface for software stacks not
> based on Linux being moved toward DPDK that need simple operations like
> getting the mac address.  Some of these stacks have a dearth of resources
> available and dedicating a core/thread to KNI to get/set a mac address
> is considered excessive. There are also issues with 32/64 bit kernel
> integration
> using KNI.  If the ethtool interface is not the correct interface then
> please help me
> understand what should/could have been used. If ethtool is considered 'old
> and clunky¹
> Stephen's and your input would be valuable in designing another interface
> with
> similar properties.  The use-case is pretty simple and there is no plans
> for moving
> anything back into the kernel on the contrary its the complete opposite.
> 
> ‹ Andy

We have DPDK API's to do this, and any added wrappers make it bigger.
I don't see why calling your ethtool API is better than calling
rte_eth* API.

If there is a missing functionality in the rte_ethXXX api's for an
application then add that. For example: rte_eth_mac_addr_get()