2015-05-29 20:59 GMT+03:00 Andrew Lunn [off-list ref]:

On Fri, May 29, 2015 at 10:36:49AM -0700, Mathieu Olivari wrote:

quoted

Alternatively, we could have something similar to what happens for the phy
in the wireless subsystems. Wireless PHYs are not registered as net_device
but they can still be listed, queried or configured through netlink.

It is a reasonable idea, but you retrieve most of the useful
information using ethtool. That, as far as i know, operates on
net_devices, not phys.

May be it's time to rework Ethernet cards handling to decouple
"Network interfaces" from "Ethernet ports"?

-- 
Sergey