Re: Persistent module storage [was Linux 2.4 Status / TODO page]

Jeff Garzik
2000-11-06T12:00:27Z

David Woodhouse wrote:
>
> jgarzik@mandrakesoft.com said:
> > > * User continues to happily listen to radio through sound card
> > You're using the sound card without a driver?
>
> Yes. The sound card allows itself to be unloaded when the pass-through mixer
> levels are non-zero. This is reasonable iff it can be reloaded without
> destroying those levels again.

I don't think that is reasonable.

The first thing most drivers do is reset the hardware. That inevitably
leads to some sort of blip, when it comes to sound drivers. If you
-don't- reset the hardware, the driver is using hardware that is in an
unknown state. (using hardware w/out resetting it == unknown state)

You are depending on the hardware to keep its state -between- driver
unload and driver reload. That seems inherently unstable to me. It
amazes me that such is supported.

Jeff

--
Jeff Garzik | Dinner is ready when
Building 1024 | the smoke alarm goes off.
MandrakeSoft | -/usr/games/fortune