> --- a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/socionext-netsec.txt > +++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/socionext-netsec.txt > @@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ Optional properties: (See ethernet.txt file in the same > directory) > - max-frame-size: See ethernet.txt in the same directory. > > The MAC address will be determined using the optional properties > -defined in ethernet.txt. > +defined in ethernet.txt. The 'phy-mode' property is required, but may > +be set to the empty string if the PHY configuration is programmed by > +the firmware or set by hardware straps, and needs to be preserved.
In general, phy-mode is not mandatory. of_get_phy_mode() does the right thing if it is not found, it sets &priv->phy_interface to PHY_INTERFACE_MODE_NA, but returns -ENODEV. Also, it does not break backwards compatibility to convert a mandatory property to optional. So you could just do of_get_phy_mode(pdev->dev.of_node, &priv->phy_interface); skip all the error checking, and document it as optional. Andrew