public inbox for linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
 help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
To: Alan Stern <stern@rowland.harvard.edu>
Cc: dvomlehn@cisco.com, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-usb@vger.kernel.org, linux-scsi@cuplxvomd02.corp.sa.net,
	netdev@cuplxvomd02.corp.sa.net
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/5] KERNEL: Support asynchronously-discovered boot devices, v4 (resend)
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:54:12 -0700	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20090430145412.c1386cb2.akpm@linux-foundation.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.44L0.0904301712450.31375-100000@netrider.rowland.org>

On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:19:34 -0400 (EDT)
Alan Stern <stern@rowland.harvard.edu> wrote:

> > I wonder if we can think of something more new ad unique.  startupdev?  yuk.
> 
> Initdev?  Or does that mean something else also?

y:/usr/src/linux-2.6.30-rc4> grep -ril initdev . 
./drivers/scsi/mpt2sas/mpi/mpi2_ioc.h
./drivers/net/mac8390.c
./drivers/video/kyro/Makefile
./drivers/video/kyro/STG4000InitDevice.c
./drivers/message/fusion/lsi/mpi_ioc.h
./drivers/watchdog/i6300esb.c
./drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-alsa.c
./drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-video.c
./drivers/media/video/saa7134/saa7134-core.c
./drivers/media/video/cx23885/cx23885-core.c

initdev sounds good to me.  Given that we're adding a new and distinct
concept which will remain with us for a long time, we should name it
with care.

> Really, these are devices that we want to have working before starting
> up any userspace processes.  These would be the console device(s) (so
> that the first process has open files for its stdin, stdout, and
> stderr) and the block device containing the root filesystem (if the
> initramfs image doesn't make its own arrangements).

OK, so "initdev" could be viewed as meaning "a device which /sbin/init
needs"?  Even I can understand that.

But /sbin/init isn't the first userspace we run, is it?  There's
initramfs stuff, firmware loaders, etc.

What's the story here?  Do we intend that all initdevs be up and
running before _any_ userspace runs?  Or is /sbin/init the red line?

  reply	other threads:[~2009-04-30 21:58 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 8+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2009-04-30  1:45 [PATCH 1/5] KERNEL: Support asynchronously-discovered boot devices, v4 (resend) David VomLehn
2009-04-30 21:05 ` Andrew Morton
2009-04-30 21:19   ` Alan Stern
2009-04-30 21:54     ` Andrew Morton [this message]
2009-05-01 16:58       ` David VomLehn
2009-05-01 17:20         ` Alan Stern
2009-05-01 20:22         ` Andrew Morton
2009-05-01 23:11           ` David VomLehn

Reply instructions:

You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:

* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
  and reply-to-all from there: mbox

  Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style

* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
  switches of git-send-email(1):

  git send-email \
    --in-reply-to=20090430145412.c1386cb2.akpm@linux-foundation.org \
    --to=akpm@linux-foundation.org \
    --cc=dvomlehn@cisco.com \
    --cc=linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org \
    --cc=linux-scsi@cuplxvomd02.corp.sa.net \
    --cc=linux-usb@vger.kernel.org \
    --cc=netdev@cuplxvomd02.corp.sa.net \
    --cc=stern@rowland.harvard.edu \
    /path/to/YOUR_REPLY

  https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html

* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
  via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox