From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Tue, 7 Aug 2001 20:08:38 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Tue, 7 Aug 2001 20:08:28 -0400 Received: from ip240.cvd2.rb1.bel.nwlink.com ([207.202.151.240]:2060 "EHLO zot.localdomain") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Tue, 7 Aug 2001 20:08:23 -0400 To: Riley Williams To: Linux Kernel Subject: Re: How does "alias ethX drivername" in modules.conf work? In-Reply-To: From: Mark Atwood Date: 07 Aug 2001 17:08:21 -0700 In-Reply-To: Riley Williams's message of "Wed, 8 Aug 2001 00:35:54 +0100 (BST)" Message-ID: User-Agent: Gnus/5.0807 (Gnus v5.8.7) Emacs/20.7 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Riley Williams writes: > > I've certainly never stood in the position you call "Kernel" in that > description. Here's the situation as I see it, put in those sort of > terms, characters being InitScripts and Kernel respectively: > > 1. InitScripts points at Kernel saying "there is no good and no > well documented mapping method". > > 2. Kernel replies "There is a good mapping method, which is to > always map the ports starting with the lowest numbered one." Well, there is that present mapping method, but I hesitate to call it "good". Plus, we are unable to satisfactorily define "lowest numbered one". If I build a system with several identical (other than MAC) FooCorp PCI ethernics, they will number up in order of ascending MAC address. I take the same system, replace the FooCorp cards with BarInc NICs, they will number up in reverse MAC address. Replace them instead with Baz Systems NICs, and I get them in bus scan order (at which point I'm dependent on the firmware version of my PCI bridge too!). And if I elect to use Frob Networking NICs, I instead get them in the *random* order that their oncard processors won the race to power up. Gods and demons help me if I try putting several of all four brands in one box, or the firmware on my NICs or in my PCI bridges changes! > > 3. InitScripts then tells Kernel "But I don't want to map the ports > in ascending numerical order!" The phrase "ascending numerical order" becomes, depending on if you have a complex (lots of different kinds of interfaces) or dynamic (ferex, with PCMCIA, CompactPCI, USB, and Firewire ethernet interfaces), either useless or undefined. -- Mark Atwood | I'm wearing black only until I find something darker. mra@pobox.com | http://www.pobox.com/~mra