Re: configuring ISA PnP devices with kernel 2.4 & isapnptools
On Sun, Apr 29, 2001 at 10:27:59AM +1000, Herbert Xu wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 28, 2001 at 07:52:38PM -0400, Steve M. Robbins wrote:
> >
> > What is already handled by modutils? Loading the isa-pnp module?
> > Configuring the PnP cards?
>
> Sorry, I wasn't talking about the same thing as you. But, what you want to
> do can and should be done through modutils. By inserting a post-install
> statement into a file in /etc/modutils, you can execute arbitrary commands
> everytime the isapnp module is loaded.
Okay, so one can arrange to have cards configured when the isa-pnp
module is loaded, by using a "post-install" statement. I hadn't
thought of that. Is that what folks normally do for PnP cards?
There isn't any kind of formal standard for hardware configuration
that I can find --- I looked in Debian policy, Filesystem Hierarchy
Standard, and Linux Standards Base. What is the best current
practice?
The immediate problem that I am facing is: what should the init script
for isapnptools do? The status quo is:
* if /proc/isapnp exists, the script does nothing,
* otherwise isapnp runs (if its config file exists)
The check for /proc/isapnp is there to detect kernel support for PnP
configuration (added in kernel 2.3.something). I can think of two
problems with this approach.
1. This assumes that the user has actually re-worked the system
configuration to use the /proc/isapnp interface. If not, then upon
the first boot into kernel 2.4, the system may be in a bad state
(i.e. some cards not configured).
2. This does not detect isa-pnp compiled as a kernel module, since the
/proc file does not exist until the module is loaded, and that happens
*after* isapnp init script runs.
I think that issue #2 is not a real problem. I believe that running
the isapnptools' isapnp *and* also using the kernel's /proc/isapnp
interface (when the isa-pnp module gets loaded) is harmless. The
worst that will happen is that the card may be configured twice.[1]
If true, then I am inclined to remove the check for /proc/isapnp in
the init script. Hence isapnptools would continue to configure the
card after the user upgrades to kernel 2.4, until she re-works the
configuration to use the /proc/isapnp interface. This would alleviate
issue #1.
I would greatly value other's experience with PnP cards. I have just
one, myself, and only just installed a 2.4 kernel on Friday to see
what the new interface is like. It took me most of the evening to
figure out how to re-create the old configuration. An upgrade to 2.4
shouldn't break a working system this badly! I'd really like a way to
ease this transition for others. Is there, for example, a script to
translate /etc/isapnp.conf into the new form?
Thanks,
-Steve
1. Of course this is bad if the two configs differ, but that would be
caused by explicit user action. I am more concerned about someone
installing a 2.4 kernel and getting surprised.
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