[patch] remove wireless support

[Robert Love]

On Wed, 2004-06-02 at 00:36 +0200, David Zeuthen wrote:

> I'm a bit reluctant to remove this. But I'm not adamant about it.
> 
> Maybe it's because I think wireless networking relates wired networking
> like the set of available access points to whether the wire is plugged
> in. Second, it's not at all clear to me that just because you read
> something, you also want to write. Third, this gives a nice way of
> having OS-level reaction (by callouts) to changes in the set of
> available access points (though that should probably happen at the
> desktop session level anyway). Fourth, it centralizes scanning for
> wireless networks. Fifth, it seems like a convenient feature to have.

Let me lay out my thinking a bit on the reading vs. writing issue.  What
it basically boils down to is that the system _needs_ iwlib _anyway_, so
why duplicate stuff in HAL?

iwlib can, theoretically anyway, provide a better interface for
wireless-specific manipulation, anyhow.  Sure, it can use HAL for device
discovery and such, but let's look at the code if we use HAL for reading
the attributes but not writing.  We end up with two code paths.  One
that uses the ioctl() interface to set a bunch of parameters.  Another
that uses HAL to read a bunch of parameters.  Plus a conversion layer to
convert HAL properties to the format that the ioctl's want.  At this
point, there is really no reason to use HAL (aside from device
discovery).  It is just dumb, in fact.

OK OK, so you raise a valid point about some things that want to read
but that don't need to write.  I can buy this, but to that I respond:
why not just use iwlib?

My measuring stick is still "is it a setting or an inherent property of
the device".

> p.s. : I'm traveling the next few days with little access to email so if
> I'm late responding, that's why.

Yah, Joe told me.  Have a safe and fun trip.

	Robert Love




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