Re: [PATCH] PCI serial card support

[Robert Millan <rmh@aybabtu.com>]

On Wed, Nov 05, 2008 at 07:37:50AM -0800, Dugger, Donald D wrote:
> 
> Hmmm, this is getting a litte more complex than I had hoped but
> so be it.  The problem is that to do this you need more than just
> a PCI ID to base_baud map, now you have to be able to enumerate
> serial devices, both multi-port and multi-function, so you can
> match different terminal ports to their resources.  The code to do
> this is moderately complex but, fortunately, the code already
> exists in the Linux driver, I can just copy that code.

On one hand, the code might be GPLv2 only, and on the other GRUB
maintainers require copyright assignments.  So I'm afraid this is
likely not possible.

> Also, I'd like to modify the `serial' command so that typing that
> command with no arguments lists out the serial ports availale,
> I think that would be a usefull capability.

I'm thinking that it's somewhat odd that selection of serial port is
done through the "serial" command instead of though the generic
"terminal" one (I think this interface was inherited from GRUB Legacy).

How would everyone feel about changing that?  So typing "terminal" could
list serial0, serial1, etc.

> I don't know anything about Express cards, if they sit on the
> PCI bus with normal BDF's then there is no problem, if they
> interface through some other means then supporting them will
> get interesting.

Since this is for a legacy interface, I doubt there will be vendors
manufacturing PCI Express cards for it.  USB is much more suitable for
compatibility.

-- 
Robert Millan

  The DRM opt-in fallacy: "Your data belongs to us. We will decide when (and
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  still allow you to remove your data and not access it at all."