[PATCH v4 23/23] doc: add release note about rte_ethdev changes

[Bruce Richardson]

On Wed, Aug 05, 2026 at 10:09:17PM -0700, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> The changes to rte_ethdev are visible to applications,
> which may need to include some network headers directly.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Stephen Hemminger <stephen at networkplumber.org>
> ---
>  doc/guides/rel_notes/release_26_11.rst | 24 ++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 24 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_26_11.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_26_11.rst
> index c8cc86295d..3749cbd456 100644
> --- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_26_11.rst
> +++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_26_11.rst
> @@ -77,6 +77,21 @@ Removed Items
>      ``rte_rib6_is_equal``
>    * table: ``RTE_LPM_IPV6_ADDR_SIZE``
>  
> +* Removed legacy flow director related API and files.
> +
> +  * Removed experimental APIs in:
> +
> +    * ixgbe: ``rte_pmd_ixgbe_get_fdir_info``, ``rte_pmd_ixgbe_get_fdir_stats``
> +    * i40e: ``rte_pmd_i40e_get_fdir_info``, ``rte_pmd_i40e_get_fdir_stats``
> +

Some concerns about this. I'd rather see them deprecated and then removed
in a later release next year.

> +  * Removed testpmd commands:
> +
> +    The ``fdir`` option in ``show port`` and ``clear port`` were removed.
> +
> +  * Removed file ``rte_eth_ctrl.h``.
> +    Drivers that still require FDIR related structures now use ``ethdev_fdir.h``
> +    in driver SDK.
> +

Fine with this removal.

>  API Changes
>  -----------
> @@ -93,6 +108,15 @@ API Changes
>     Also, make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
>     =======================================================
>  
> +* **Changed ethdev include files.**
> +
> +  * Dropped inclusion of ``rte_flow.h`` in ``rte_ethdev.h``.
> +    Applications using flow API should include it directly.
> +  * Network headers ``rte_ip.h``, ``rte_udp.h``, ``rte_tcp.h`` and ``rte_sctp.h``
> +    are no longer indirectly included by ``rte_ethdev.h``.
> +    Applications should include network headers as needed.
> +  * Legacy flow director definitions are no longer included by ``rte_ethdev.h``.
> +
>  
>  ABI Changes
>  -----------
> -- 
> 2.53.0
>