Bug#209301: modconf: on module installation failure, suggest isa-pnp.o to the user

[Eduard Bloch <edi@gmx.de>]

#include <hallo.h>
* Ryan Underwood [Fri, Sep 12 2003, 10:21:21PM]:
> > Short answer: use precompiled kernels if you cannot do it properly in
> > your own. If you build the isa-pnp module with the kernel, the created
> > modules (ISA drivers) will depend on it and autoload when needed.
> 
> I'm not sure what you are talking about.  I am referring specifically
> about when modconf is called during Debian installation.  The new user

Me too. Modconf used modprobe, modprobe looks on on modules.dep, the
particular module (_if_ it works together with isa-pnp) needs isa-pnp so
modprobe loads isa-pnp. Your scenario can only appear if you have a mix
of modules from different kernel builds.

> may have no idea that he or she needs to insert the isa-pnp module
> to configure the PnP cards, before inserting the driver modules for the

(s)he does not have to. When you see a such problem, examine
modules.dep and file a bug report against your kernel.

> In my opinion, this is a bug because modconf, an "easy to use" frontend,
> is failing to inform the user of a step they may have forgotten to take

It does sometimes, eg. for USB keyboards. For other things, we rely on
module dependencies.

> if they are unfamiliar with the system.  I posted this bug on behalf of
> a frustrated user who wasted many hours with an (unknown to him)
> unconfigured ISA PnP card.

As said before, isa-pnp is loaded when the kernel has been built with
the isa-pnp module. If the particular driver does _not_ communicate with
the isa-pnp module, loading it would not help anyways.

MfG,
Eduard.
-- 
Das Alter hat auch gesundheitliche Vorteile: Zum Beispiel verschüttet
man ziemlich viel von dem Alkohol, den man trinken möchte.
		-- André Gide