Problems with GPM / loading kernel module during boot

Problems with GPM / loading kernel module during boot

[RG.Schneider]

Hello,
I found a problem since I started to use the 2.6 kernel release. 
I use the console mouse tool gpm. It is started the usual way with a
script '/etc/init.d/gpm' and symbolic links
in the runlevel directories '/etc/rcX.d" .
When I installed gpm ( Debian Distribution ) I wondered that gpm was not
active after booting. I had to call
'/etc/init.d/gpm start' after login as root  to make it working.

I started to look at the problem after login and everything else seemed
to be ok, even lsmod showed the neccessary modules
- psmouse ... - in this case for gpm.

I stopped gpm  ( gpm -k ) , unloded the psmouse ... and restarted gpm
again. Not working but psmouse was loaded again.
So I thought that the request to the kernel to load the modules
corresponding to '/dev/psaux' took too long for gpm to 
come up.

To validate this, I made an entry 'psmouse' into the file '/etc/modules'
- the list of modules that are loaded during boot.
This solved the problem.

QUESTION::
Is this a special problem for thegpm program or  a general problem for
all programs/drivers that are trying to access a device node and forcing
the kernel to load the approciate module(s)?

/RalfS