>> The NE2000 driver ALREADY DOES the PCI auto-probing!
>> Everything already is as it should if one uses ne.c "built-in".
>> Some maintainer, I guess it was Donald Becker himself, had decided
>> (I4m almost sure with good reasons) not to accept the auto-probing
>> result if invoked as a module.
>>
>> I am using ne.c with a PCI card since months, and I never had to code
>> any setup values anywhere. ne.c just does it right as-is if not used
>> as a module, and the built-in PCI code is ok.
>
>We are circling around an unavoidable fact: Modular kernel is the future.
Yes, agreed - all my installations are based upon the german Linux
distribution SuSE-4.3, and the recent first-time-install process (for
new users!) already is based upon a very rudimentary boot kernel which
loads all needed drivers and filesystems as modules on demand. I use it
with my NE2000 clones, too.
>The possibility to compile a kernel is a great "feature" or opportunity
>but it does not have to be essential to run linux. Modular kernels offers
>the linux community a solution to this. Having to compile a kernel just
>because you need this ethernet adaptor or this one is a show stopper for
>most linux user. If it is not a show stopper, it is a severe annoyance.
Strong words, but against the wall (or through the windows).
>If the ne2000-PCI can probe and it does not, this is linux which looks
>unsophisticated. This is bad.
Either Donald Becker or Paul Gortmaker, I think, made the decision to
use the auto-probe results only if invoked as a "non-module". Noone has
the "argumentation power" to change this without hearing "why" they
did it, and any arguing should stop until they explained it.
We don4t need pressure groups; we still are able to discuss.
Cheers -e
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