Documentation

["Alexander E. Patrakov" <patrakov@ums.usu.ru>]

In the Linux From Scratch (LFS) support mailing list a question has been 
asked: why can't hotplug load the "snd-pcm-oss" module automatically 
despite the fact that the Creative Live! soundcard is found and the 
"snd-emu10k1" module is loaded automatically for it. I answered this 
question, but another point has been raised there that should be really 
discussed here.

Namely, the problem is that the recommendations on building Linux kernel 
and writing /etc/modules.conf (or modprobe.conf) file that predate 
adoption of Hotplug are now wrong, invalid and even harmful. Since 
Hotplug and Udev will be probably included in the next version of LFS, 
and even experienced developers cannot build a trouble-free kernel for 
use with Hotplug and Udev on their first attempt, we expect a sharp 
increase of support questions per day in our list.

I could not find any up-to-date "good practice" documents upon building 
the kernel that work well with Hotplug and Udev. E.g., it is mentioned 
nowhere that if a character or block device driver is built as a module, 
then it will not be loaded automatically. Yes, that is in the Udev FAQ, 
but in the wrong form: you state that it is not the task of Udev to load 
modules (it is a negative statement), and I need an URL with some 
positive recommendations how to load modules and to avoid various 
chicken-and-egg problems. The snd-pcm-oss problem is also documented 
nowhere. (is there any comprehensive list of such undetectable modules?)

Could you please post link here to some good (possibly even "official") 
up-to-date and newbie-proof list of good kernel building practices? The 
discussion of modprobe.conf will be also very nice. I will be glad to 
put that link into the LFS book, thus avoiding repeated support questions.

If such document is not written yet, we should collaborate and write it.

-- 
Alexander E. Patrakov


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