[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Status of Debian Policy



On Sun, 6 Jul 1997, James R. Van Zandt wrote:

[snip]
> >TOPIC 4: policy for devices
> >---------------------------
> ...
> >
> >  No package may include device files in the package file tree.
> >
> >  If a package needs any special device files that are not included
> >  in the base system, it has to call makedev in the postinst script,
> >  after asking the user for permission to do so.
> >
> >  No package should remove any device files in the postrm or any
> >  other script. This is left to the system administrator.
> 
> I have written and am about to package a modular device driver for a
> speech synthesizer.  makedev does not know about this device.  Also,
> the major device number is assigned dynamically, so the special device
> file can only be created after the module is installed.  (Then, the
> major device number can be learned from /proc/devices.)  In this case,
> I think removing the device file also makes sense.  (Otherwise it must
> be removed and recreated the next time the module is installed, unless
> the device number happens to be the same.)  
> 
> I suggest adding something like this to your second paragraph:
> 
>     Special device files for devices with dynamically assigned major
>     device numbers should be created by a script that runs after the
>     module is installed.  Those special device files should also be
>     removed when the module is removed.  For example, see depmod(1) for
>     the "post-install" and "post-remove" configuration commands for
>     /etc/conf.modules.
> 
> I have been programming for quite a while, but kernel modules are new
> to me.  If there is a better way to handle this case, I am open to
> suggestions.

I agree to your addition. (Andreas, what do you think?) If there are no
objections, this section will be added to the next policy. (Probably,
I'll rewrite it to make it fit in.)


Thanks,

Chris

--                  Christian Schwarz
                     schwarz@monet.m.isar.de, schwarz@schwarz-online.com,
Debian is looking     schwarz@debian.org, schwarz@mathematik.tu-muenchen.de
for a logo! Have a
look at our drafts     PGP-fp: 8F 61 EB 6D CF 23 CA D7  34 05 14 5C C8 DC 22 BA
at    http://fatman.mathematik.tu-muenchen.de/~schwarz/debian-logo/


--
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to
debian-devel-request@lists.debian.org . 
Trouble?  e-mail to templin@bucknell.edu .


Reply to: