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Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 10:47:21 -0800
From: Julian Elischer <julian@whistle.com>
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To: Bruce Evans <bde@zeta.org.au>
CC: brawley@communica.com.au, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: Device driver initialisation
References: <199701030933.UAA26540@godzilla.zeta.org.au>
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> 
> I think it's the bdev case that's broken.  Drivers should add entries to
> the devswitches themselves in all cases.  In 2.2., non-lkm drivers have to
> do this, so doing it differently for the lkm case just requires more code.
> Most drivers do it in a poor way using SYSINIT().  This also requires more
> code and gives worse results than adding the entries at the appropriate
> time (several drivers have active devswitch entries although their probe
> has failed, and open routines that can't handle being called when the
> driver hasn't been attached).

I agree..
The SYSINIT method was used to make the implimentation quicker.
most drivers should grow an 'init routine' that is called in both the
LKM and linked cases
the mechanism to do so is not decided yet however.
maybe we should have a little SIG on this some time..