QLogic 10Gb "QLGE" Ethernet Driver Set To Be Removed From The Linux Kernel

[phoronix]

Phoronix: QLogic 10Gb "QLGE" Ethernet Driver Set To Be Removed From The Linux Kernel

For those that happen to have QLogic 10Gb PCIe Ethernet adapters, the mainline Linux kernel is planning to remove this driver from the kernel source tree unless any active users step-up...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/QLogic-10Gb-QLGE-Driver-Dropped

[doublez13]

I know Synology rebrands a fair number of QLogic cards as their own. Anyone know if this is the driver used on modern QLogic 10/25G cards?

[domih]

Damn. I'm glad I went with SolarFlare when looking for/buying cheap 10GbE SFP+ on eBay.

[uid313]

Does the hardware still work with the device driver?
Does the device driver really need any maintenance?

[TheLexMachine]

With everyone/many screaming for 10G Ethernet in their home labs or whatever and many of those buying used surplus pro hardware that has this attached to it, I'm not sure this should be dropped at this time and not until the state of hardware deployment/availability is better ascertained or clarified or whatever you want to call it.

[timofonic]

I agree, it's a shame that the QLogic 10Gb QLGE Ethernet driver is going to be removed from the Linux kernel.

I have twelve QLogic cards that I bought second hand and they work great with Linux.

I wonder why no one stepped up to maintain the driver, since it seems to be quite popular and reliable.

Maybe there are some technical or legal issues that prevent the driver from being updated. Or maybe the QLogic cards are being replaced by newer and faster models.

It would be nice if someone could explain the reason behind this decision.

I hope that someone will fork the driver and keep it alive, or that QLogic will release a new driver that supports their cards on Linux.

Otherwise, I will have to look for another solution for my network needs.

[Ironmask]

I don't even understand why all these drivers have to be in linux in the first place. Why can't they be in a repo kind of like how Windows does it? I always thought it was crazy that they do it this way.

[unwind-protect]

That reminds me of the destruction of Earth in the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. The destruction was pre-announced some place in the galaxy, so now the inhabitants can't complain, right?

[ssokolow]

I don't even understand why all these drivers have to be in linux in the first place. Why can't they be in a repo kind of like how Windows does it? I always thought it was crazy that they do it this way.

Because the kernel devs consider it more valuable to be free to rearchitect the kernel in ways that would preclude exposing a stable driver API or break any prior attempts at one.

[timrichardson]

I don't even understand why all these drivers have to be in linux in the first place. Why can't they be in a repo kind of like how Windows does it? I always thought it was crazy that they do it this way.

What is the "repo"? You mean vendors provide binary drivers which you can install? These suffer from the problem that once the vendor loses interest commercially, there are no updates.

As an exercise for yourself, try to find the Windows driver for "QLogic 10Gb QLGE". There are very old ones scattered around, nothing that would be a "repository".