Re: [EXT] Re: [PATCH v2 net-next 1/2] bnx2x: Utilize firmware 7.13.21.0

On Wed, Mar 9, 2022 at 11:46 AM Manish Chopra [off-list ref] wrote:

This has not changed anything functionally from driver/device perspective, FW is still being loaded only when device is opened.
bnx2x_init_firmware() [I guess, perhaps the name is misleading] just request_firmware() to prepare the metadata to be used when device will be opened.

So how do you explain the report by Paul Menzel that things used to
work and no longer work now?

You can't do request_firmware() early. When you actually then push the
firmware to the device is immaterial - but request_firmware() has to
be done after the system is up and running.

                 Linus