RE: ISA hardware discovery -- the elegant solution

[Michael Lazarou]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Giacomo Catenazzi [mailto:[e-mail]]
> >>
> >>The kernel's device drivers have, of course, to include probe
> >>routines, and those hard-compiled in typically log the presence of
> >>their hardware to /var/log/mesg when it loads.  By scanning that
> >>file, we in effect get to use those probes.
> >>
> > 
> > Doesn't this mean that you would need a fully functional kernel
> > before you get to run the autoconfigurator?
> 
> 
> Not a problem. Autoconfiguration is made to help configuring
> the kernel, before to compile it. So you need a linux working
> machine (actually you can cross-compile).
> 
> Our task is to allow user to compile a kernel, with the
> needed drivers, without the non used drivers.

OK, well I guess I am a little confused.

If I hit an autoconfigurator button then I would expect a kernel that
will boot and know everything there is to know about my machine.

Without probing the hardware how will the autoconfigurator cope with 
the hardware changing underneath it?

Michael