Re: [PATCH net-next 5/7] qlcnic: fix default operating state of interface

From: Anirban Chakraborty <redacted>
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:37:36 -0700

From: Amit Kumar Salecha <redacted>

Currently interface shows status as RUNNING, even if there is no link.
To fix this, netif_carrier_off should be called after register_netdev().

netif_carrier_off calls linkwatch_fire_event(dev); only if netdev is registered,
otherwise it skips. linkwatch_fire_event set default state of nic interface.

Signed-off-by: Amit Kumar Salecha <redacted>
Signed-off-by: Anirban Chakraborty <redacted>

You cannot do this.

The exact second that register_netdev() is called, the device can
be brought up asynchronously and the link brought into the up state.

Your netif_carrier_off() call will race with this.

This is why no other (properly functioning) driver does what you're
trying to do here.