Re: Device drivers on installation
On Sat, Dec 04, 1999 at 06:43:06AM -0800, Howard Mann wrote
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>
> Hi,
>
> I am going to install Debian from a CD using my
> ATAPI/IDE CD-ROM. I am switching from Red Hat.
>
> In the ``Configure Device Driver Modules''
> section of the installation instructions, there
> is the following:
>
> "You don't have to configure all your devices at
> this point; what is crucial is that any device
> configuration required for the installation of
> the base system is done here...This includes
> ethernet drivers"
>
> Thus, I will configure support/modules for my
> Ethernet card. ( I will use the eth interface
> soon after installation to get other packages
> from Internet servers using apt-get) I do not
> need a module for my CD-ROM per se. Do I need to
> stipulate module support for the iso9660 file
> system during this step?
>
> What other modules _will_ I need to configure at
> this point? I know I can configure others after
> installation using "modconf."
>
You should only need to configure modules that are
required for the installer to see the base & package
files; e.g., a non-IDE CDROM, a network card for installing
across the net, or one of a small handful of SCSI drivers
that aren't included in the kernel already.
If you have a network card it is a *very*good*idea*
to configure it during installation, even if you don't
strictly need to - that will save you having to edit
files by hand later. For other modules, it doesn't
really matter.
> Using Red Hat, module support for many devices,
> file systems etc. is configured by default in the
> stock kernel that comes with a particular
> version. I can determine this by perusing
> a "defconfig" file in the sources directory.These
> modules are loaded as necessary by the kerneld
> daemon.
Similar deal with Debian. There should be a file on
your new debian system at /boot/config-<version> where
<version> is the kernel version you're running; this
is produced by 'make config', and lists all of the kernel
build config veriables; those set to 'm' represent the
code that was built as modules.
You can use modconf to browse the available modules,
as well as installing them.
When you install the kerneld package it will ask you if
you want modules to be loaded automatically. Say yes
here, or run modconf later and browse what's available,
or add other modules you want loaded at boot time to
/etc/modules.
>
> How do I determine this for Debian ? For
> example,will I have to subsequently configure
> module support for dos/fat/vfat to read my
> Windows partition?
>
Not if you use lerneld to do it automatically, as you
have been with RedHat.
John P.
--
huiac@camtech.net.au
john@huiac.apana.org.au
"Oh - I - you know - my job is to fear everything." - Bill Gates in Denmark
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