Re: modutils 2.4.2, please test asap

[David Brownell <david-b@pacbell.net>]

Thanks for the modutils update, Keith.  Too bad this has been
such a mess to get straight -- that 2.4.0final patch caught
most folk by surprise!


> > Because the USB maintainers did not want to support backwards
> > compatibility, Linus saw no need for the patch.  Which is fine, if you
> > are happy to break backwards compatibility.  It should be obvious that
> > I disagree strongly with this attitude.

Put it differently:  If you want to use 2.4.0-test (and prerelease)
kernels, use the 2.3.* modutils.

As it stands, we saw a bug report this morning about how 2.4 modutils
broke hotplugging with 2.2 kernels, since it created unusable (empty)
"usbmap" files ... you're not as backwards-compatible as you may
think you are!

I think it's reasonable not to want to support 2.4-test kernels;
anyone trying to use one of them has no reason to expect support.


> Isn't it true that the /sbin/hotplug support code simply doesn't
> exist in older kernels?

No; it's in the 2.2 backport (thanks to Greg) and current hotplug
scripts should work on 2.2 kernels too.  If (!) people don't try to
use the 2.4 modutils ... the empty/unusable "usbmap" breaks things.
One more point on the "no *_device_id => no mapfile" side.  That
can be kluged around in usermode, but it's an incompatibility.

- Dave



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