From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Mon, 8 Jan 2001 14:05:24 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Mon, 8 Jan 2001 14:05:14 -0500 Received: from munchkin.spectacle-pond.org ([209.192.197.45]:32774 "EHLO munchkin.spectacle-pond.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Mon, 8 Jan 2001 14:04:58 -0500 Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 14:05:21 -0500 From: Michael Meissner To: Ookhoi Cc: Michael Meissner , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: The advantage of modules? Message-ID: <20010108140521.C11682@munchkin.spectacle-pond.org> In-Reply-To: <20010105225020.A1188@evaner.penguinpowered.com> <20010108114734.A11682@munchkin.spectacle-pond.org> <20010108192601.J3680@ookhoi.dds.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2i In-Reply-To: <20010108192601.J3680@ookhoi.dds.nl>; from ookhoi@dds.nl on Mon, Jan 08, 2001 at 07:26:01PM +0100 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Mon, Jan 08, 2001 at 07:26:01PM +0100, Ookhoi wrote: > > 3) Having drivers as modules means that you can remove them and > > reload them. When I was working in an office, I had one scsi > > controller that was a different brand (Adaptec) than the main scsi > > controller (TekRam), and I hung a disk in a removable chasis on the > > scsi chain in addition to a tape driver and cd-rom. When I was > > about to go home, I would copy all of the data to the disk, unmount > > it, and then unload the scsi device driver. I would take the disk > > out, and reload the scsi device driver to get the tape/cd-rom. I > > would then take the disk to my home computer. I would reverse the > > process when I came in the morning. > > You don't need modules for this to work. Quoting from drivers/scsi/scsi.c: /* * Usage: echo "scsi add-single-device 0 1 2 3" >/proc/scsi/scsi * with "0 1 2 3" replaced by your "Host Channel Id Lun". * Consider this feature BETA. * CAUTION: This is not for hotplugging your peripherals. As * SCSI was not designed for this you could damage your * hardware ! * However perhaps it is legal to switch on an * already connected device. It is perhaps not * guaranteed this device doesn't corrupt an ongoing data transfer. */ so my take is unless you explicitly use hotplug devices (I wasn't), that it is much safer to unload the driver, unattach/attach scsi devices, and then reload the driver (which will scan the scsi bus for devices), which you need modules for. -- Michael Meissner, Red Hat, Inc. (GCC group) PMB 198, 174 Littleton Road #3, Westford, Massachusetts 01886, USA Work: meissner@redhat.com phone: +1 978-486-9304 Non-work: meissner@spectacle-pond.org fax: +1 978-692-4482 - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/