From owner-freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org Tue Apr 10 22:50:10 2018 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-drivers@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 20BC4FA048A; Tue, 10 Apr 2018 22:50:10 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dieterbsd@gmail.com) Received: from mail-io0-x243.google.com (mail-io0-x243.google.com [IPv6:2607:f8b0:4001:c06::243]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 (128/128 bits)) (Client CN "smtp.gmail.com", Issuer "Google Internet Authority G2" (verified OK)) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id AF2C173D02; Tue, 10 Apr 2018 22:50:09 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dieterbsd@gmail.com) Received: by mail-io0-x243.google.com with SMTP id d7so264613ioc.11; Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:50:09 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to; bh=+a3TTQwKZ1zs+Vcs/SHP+ZMoY6iHpHPUNUY7vuSWLjk=; b=LdtKmgsierLueQ17v+l+LY8FoO4k4sd0gRCOjFPmcDafJqeI6l3yIyGPocII+tkXyS lohoOXSYKz+3owy6hBZ+HYUFymXN4sFIC1BE3eqBWmZqmU1vnkm5+KcotB2/WJOZbh/r GHvz3ZNgcBtdemoOffBp2C94/GJyDOJ86hp3EmoNOl3Z8uSFrv3HfkDfXkjpon9vcoeM szxnUGKIVA6SSilRq4VtEbkQK2v8dPUHWGbQG0p+fKi3GS211wK1qj1Fsl605qoUywtz gTimoo1aZv0OmAfcFszxFUpGBv+xZb0jT/J/YlDYkKkYYpriUy9JCYziJNX0E5GlLV5B vR7g== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to; bh=+a3TTQwKZ1zs+Vcs/SHP+ZMoY6iHpHPUNUY7vuSWLjk=; b=JIXziYLFk2q7jkiOBNW/+Nzui7j5fFFhxG6WOlLaGH0nBIDAjhaJ1tnBmlI/1wh5mx /TLo8C+W/a0owVqn21xB7sd9DvOMR37FPjZsrlnR5pbh+6FlnXPMlDkcjDnai1Acv3/4 E1/zLOWGZhU47mv6e5K7+Sm2bwMogW/gEMP78m5Wn2D8hNPwqSlV40hZhx2NOZUTfXux YQOacAAZXqLmyJcZrp89Cu6EaCcj8N7qOykH0c6AeviRHYwddGoQ2UjTvIbAleFR6HRt UT0GGo8f4iOBiDMPH2upQMb6cJrKwXJWbnjK+nLVBObGzJGrhujlt4WPdmdxKSSBHX3m eHiQ== X-Gm-Message-State: ALQs6tBJvEXJsmaW5/+4kmHX8I7tB6IIHLlvBHONNP9BSVRnQVfmEYDB speIoWJjt7HOVUZbCnxGI2rXNypg2xvPxTtvLKA= X-Google-Smtp-Source: AIpwx497WZsENuRzh6gRqjo+FsmQli6MGcs9puepID7bNMqmoVOPSSrkKIXdsPRD6qxPYIRNwuFUO/ZsPEyRH4DD6MY= X-Received: by 10.107.186.70 with SMTP id k67mr2527015iof.166.1523400608867; Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:50:08 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.192.242.173 with HTTP; Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:50:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Dieter BSD Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:50:08 -0700 Message-ID: Subject: Realtek re(4) driver To: freebsd-net@freebsd.org, freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org, freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" X-BeenThere: freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.25 Precedence: list List-Id: Writing device drivers for FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 22:50:10 -0000 Multiple people have found that FreeBSD's re(4) driver for Realtek Ethernet chips has problems. Something like a rcp(1) with another FreeBSD box merely runs slower due to the stalls, but if the other end has buggy network code and/or if the transfer is forced to use UDP (Unreliable Data Protocol) data is lost. :-( Rumor has it that Realtek has a driver that works properly with FreeBSD. FreeBSD's developers are apparently unable to: a) Fix the existing FreeBSD re(4) device driver so that it works correctly. b) Replace the existing FreeBSD re(4) device driver with Realtek's driver. c) Make Realtek's driver into a port/pkg. d) At least add a warning to the re(4) man page, with the URL for Realtek's driver. Therefore every user with Realtek Ethernet chips are forced to somehow discover that Realtek has a working driver, then somehow obtain a copy of this mythical driver, get it to compile and build a custom kernel. They then need to write a test suite and verify that Realtek's driver does in fact work properly for their applications. I am currently suffering data loss due to this. Therefore I am attempting to obtain a copy of the mythical Realtek device driver. I managed to find > http://www.realtek.com.tw/Downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=4&PNid=13&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false But it does not work for me. It has a listing for > Description Version Update Time File Size Download Site 1 > FreeBSD 7.x and 8.0 1.94 2017/9/15 93k Global The machine with the re ports is running 10.3, hopefully the 7&8 code will compile and work on 10. But the real problem is that clicking on "Global" does not work. Some browsers do nothing. Firefox creates a new window with http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/ which is going backwards. I was expecting something like a tar file containing the source code. I also tried google, and emailing a FreeBSD user that runs the Realtek driver, but both pointed me to the above non-working URL. I'm told that seamonkey works, but... So my question is: could someone please tell me the URL that points *directly* to the mythical Realtek device driver? (without the broken javascheist garbage)