Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 19:47:23 GMT From: attila! <attila@hun.org> To: Donn Miller <dmmiller@cvzoom.net> Cc: Leif Neland <leifn@neland.dk>, Kris Kennaway <kris@FreeBSD.ORG>, Christoph Kukulies <kuku@gilberto.physik.RWTH-Aachen.DE>, Bill Fumerola <billf@chc-chimes.com>, freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: attachable driver modules (Re: Stale modules (Re: panic in the morning)) Message-ID: <200004231947.TAA36929@hun.org>
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On Sun, 23 Apr 2000, Donn Miller wrote:
> I'd like to discuss further the possibility of creating some sort of
> mechanism where the modules can be built with the kernel. Also, we
> can have some sort of option in LINT or GENERIC where a keyword, such
> as module, can be put somewhere in the kernel config file line to
> compile certain drivers as modules instead of statically linking them
> into the kernel.
>
An item which would probably go a long way towards demystifying
the kernel process would be to use loader.rc to add device
modules at load time; for instance, all the Ethernet cards, the
list of which is always in flux. Theoretically, it should be
possible to go as far as the disk, tape, CD, etc. drives (no
point in floppies), and even a choice between the console and a
VT220 on a port.
Initial load would bring in a /GENERIC from which a GUI with
check the boxes would configure loader.rc and subsequent reboots
would be with the standard /kernel.
To modify an existing /kernel, reboot with /GENERIC... or make
the editor accessible, maybe even including an X option.
The Linux crowd, or at least Caldera and Corel, are trying to
beautify the install... I have ranted for over 20 years,
starting with Bell Labs, BSD 4.0, and numerous keynotes in
Europe in the 80s (too inflammatory to the 100+ U.S. feel-good
*ix vendors). I can remember being impressed with SUN's GUI
install in the 1982 SUN 2 (I still have both a "macho" SUN 1 and
a SUN 2).
We, who as a whole live by RTFM (and my extension of
RTFS-source), have not been willing to grant the unwashed an
audience.
But, keep in mind, Bill Gate$, with a snappy check the box
setup, marginalized us --and still does despite an "almost
usable" product with daily or hourly BSODs vs. my last
uptime of 272 days!
It's all well and good that us 'cognizenti' or 'intelligentsia'
are perfectly happy with a command line interface.
But X permits me to run at least 4 'xterm' windows, pine,
Xemacs, dclock, xcdplayer, xshisen, and Netscape --and have as
many as 40 open Netscape windows (great for picking e-News
articles in a batch or diversions --no backstepping). I could
care less about KDE's or Gnome's flash (in fact, KDE's visible
primary folders plus the icons are a nuisance) --hence I use the
old standby: 'TWM' which works fine for me.
the bottom line is if we (and Linux and the rest of the crowd)
wish to push Gate$' $lop off the desktop, we need to be user-
friendly --that, and hope Judge Jackson forces 'Office' into
Open Source which would sure light BadBillyG's fire!
attila out...
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