Re: [PATCH 2.6.12-rc2] bonding: partially back out dev_set_mac_address

["David S. Miller" <davem@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 07 Apr 2005 12:59:35 -0700
Jay Vosburgh <fubar@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>       This patch backs out some of the calls to dev_set_mac_address
> and replaces them with calls to a similar function that does not call
> notifier_call_chain.
> 
>       The reason for this is that the rtnetlink event handler and its
> descendents make GFP_KERNEL memory allocation requests, and the bonding
> driver makes some of its MAC address change calls from timer context
> with a lock held (notably the ALB mode).
> 
>       Rearranging the bonding driver to not call this way is a fairly
> involved change; this patch merely reverts one part of bonding to the
> way it used to be.

You can't remove that notifier call, you will break ipv4 ARP,
ipv6 neighbour discovery, and bridging if you do that.