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Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.development Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!news.Hawaii.Edu!ames!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!csn!arrayb!cwolff From: cwolff@intellistor.com (Clint Wolff) Subject: Re: [Q] How should config file and device probe relate Message-ID: <1993Sep6.142326.5769@intellistor.com> Keywords: probe config drivers Organization: Intellistor, Longmont, CO References: <2663rn$3k6@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 14:23:26 GMT Lines: 57 In article <2663rn$3k6@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> rkb55989@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Rafal Boni) writes: > > (1) I have an Ethernet board that can be configured without any > knowledge of the board's stored configuration. Basically, the board > has a single IO port fixed at 0x100, in addition to it's bank of > regularly used IO ports, and through this port, one can override the > IObase of the board. Once the IObase is known, one can override the > memsize, memaddr, and IRQ settings. > > Which one of the following is the correct behavior for the probe > routine: [or, more accurately, will doing things one way or another > break expected behavior?? Will doing things one way break the > general idea of how this should work??] > > (a) Initialize the board to use it's stored configuration, > and if this configuration does not match that given in the > the config file, fail the probe > Yes. > > (b) Initialize the board to use the parameters given in the > config file, ignoring all paramters stored in the board's > NVRAM, and thus force the board to fit the config file's > idea of where the board should be > No, Unless you can configure the board to go back to its old setup after a reset. There is nothing in the world more annoying (except MCI telephone salespeople) than having a software package reconfigure your hardware. When you are done with that package none of your other software works!!!! Your best bet is to check for the card at the I/O address given in the config file, and if it doesn't answer - fail. This also allows multiple boards to be installed in the system at different I/O addresses. > > > (2) How is this handled on 4.4/Sun/other BSD or BSD-ish systems??? > Anyone? > They look for hardware at the addresses assigned to them. Real computer manufactures define the address range for every hardware configuration up front. > > Any clues from the likes of Chris D. and > the NetBSD group especially welcome... > > Rafal The NetBSD group has a clue???? :):):):):):):):) (Sorry, I couldn't resist) -- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Clint Wolff Blonde and proud of it | | Fujitsu Computer Products of America - Intellistor Research and Development | | cwolff@slowboy.intellistor.com Ex-hacker... Now System Admininstrator | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Boulder, Colorado.......Where the men shave their legs, and the women don't | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ I don't work here anymore