Re: UUIDs (and devfs and major/minor numbers)

Paul Jakma (paul@clubi.ie)
Fri, 18 Jun 1999 10:26:07 +0100


> a devmgr without kernel interaction would be a complicated, gross
hack.
> How would you handle dynamic devices with your devmgr? poll every
second
> for new devices? and what do you poll? Your devmgr has to get the
> information about new/expired devices from somewhere - so the kernel
has
> to export this information somewhere. Why not in the most logical
way:
> directly to /dev?

Trivially: it's the module installer's job. (Actually, dynamic devices
are bad, this one of the major reasons why.)

-hpa

who said anything about modules? ok, you might be able to hack something
up with the module installer, ugly.. but anyway.

Now what do you about dynamic devices handled by the same driver: eg
hot-plug buses like usb, firewire?? Do you propose that the complete
driver module should have to be loaded/unloaded every time the user
(un)plugs a device onto/off the bus?

If that's how you want to do things, then i can see why you think
dynamic devices are bad, or at the very least ugly.

Better to reboot your computer or unload/load the bus driver whenever
you want to plug in, eg, your firewire digital camera, or your usb
speakers. Yes, much better. (sorry for the sarcasm).

On the otherhand, with devfs, dynamic devices become piss easy. You plug
in your USB camera. The USB driver registers it, and the /dev entry
magically appears. (what it'll be called is another issue - not
devfs's). A lot less pain, a lot cleaner, a lot saner, and generic.

regards,

-
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