From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S265444AbUBBAjL (ORCPT ); Sun, 1 Feb 2004 19:39:11 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S265473AbUBBAjK (ORCPT ); Sun, 1 Feb 2004 19:39:10 -0500 Received: from dp.samba.org ([66.70.73.150]:59112 "EHLO lists.samba.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S265444AbUBBAjI (ORCPT ); Sun, 1 Feb 2004 19:39:08 -0500 From: Rusty Russell To: Martin Schlemmer Cc: Linux Kernel Mailing Lists Cc: Greg KH Subject: Re: module-init-tools/udev and module auto-loading In-reply-to: Your message of "Mon, 02 Feb 2004 00:31:58 +0200." <1075674718.27454.17.camel@nosferatu.lan> Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 11:10:11 +1100 Message-Id: <20040202003922.3180E2C078@lists.samba.org> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In message <1075674718.27454.17.camel@nosferatu.lan> you write: > A quick question on module-init-tools/udev and module auto-loading ... > lets say I have a module called 'foo', that I want the kernel to > auto-load. The *idea* of udev et al is that the kernel finds the devices, /sbin/hotplug loads the driver etc. This does not cover the class of things which are entirely created by the driver (eg. dummy devices, socket families), so cannot be "detected". Many of these (eg. socket families) can be handled by explicit request_module() in the core and MODULE_ALIAS in the driver. Some of them cannot at the moment: the first the kernel knows of them is an attempt to open the device. Some variant of devfs would solve this. > Then a distant related issue - anybody thought about dynamic major > numbers of 2.7/2.8 (?) and the 'alias char-major--* whatever' > type modprobe rules (as the whole fact of them being dynamic, will make > that alias type worthless ...)? Yes. This could be changed to probe by device name, not number though. And most names can't be dynamic: /dev/null has certain, fixed semantics. The "I found this hardware, who will drive it?" mechanism of udev, and the "User asked for this, who will supply it?" mechanism of kmod have some overlap, but I think both will end up being required. Cheers, Rusty. -- Anyone who quotes me in their sig is an idiot. -- Rusty Russell.