[Bug 225811] Re: kernel: fix x86 DMI checks for PCI quirks

[Matt Domsch]

Steve:

The fundamental problem is that users expect the NICs on the motherboard
to be named "eth0" and "eth1" in Linux.  Without this SRU, they're named
"eth1" and "eth0" (e.g. backwards as compared to the silkscreen on the
case, and in BIOS SETUP pages) from expectations, which is confusing to
system administrators.

http://linux.dell.com/files/whitepapers/nic-enum-whitepaper-v3.pdf is a
whitepaper I wrote describing the problem and various solutions.  Auto-
enabling pci=bfsort is really one workaround, about a 90% solution, to
the generic problem.  That hints at a 100% solution, which is a new udev
helper program called biosdevname (http://linux.dell.com/biosdevname and
http://linux.dell.com/git biosdevname).

Yes, it can be fixed up after the fact with udev rules.  But it's better
if it need not be, which is what this patch allows.

This was a bug introduced into the 2.6.23 kernel that disabled this
feature that had been around for several kernel releases.  This SRU
fixes that bug.  It affects 5 Dell servers, and 20+ HP servers, as well
as a couple laptops.

** Changed in: dell
   Importance: Undecided => High
       Status: New => Confirmed

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kernel: fix x86 DMI checks for PCI quirks
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/225811
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