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PATCH/2.4.0 -- hotplug docs

PATCH David Brownell 1 participant 1 message Jan 16, 2001

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Hi Linus,

Could you include this patch in 2.4.1 ?

No code changes ... it just points folk to the current place for getting information and tools for hotplugging
(http://linux-hotplug.sourceforge.net/) and updates a few other points in the documentation.

- Dave

Documentation/Configure.help renamed from Documentation-2.4.0/Configure.help +7 -6
@@ -2625,13 +2625,14 @@
 
   One well known example of this is PCMCIA- or PC-cards, credit-card
   size devices such as network cards, modems or hard drives which are
-  plugged into slots found on all modern laptop computers.
+  plugged into slots found on all modern laptop computers.  Another
+  example, used on modern desktops as well as laptops, is USB.
 
-  Another example, used on modern desktops as well as laptops, is USB.
-  Enable HOTPLUG with USB and KMOD, and your kernel will automatically
-  call out to a user mode "policy agent" to load modules and set up
-  software needed to use USB devices you plug in.  Get agent software
-  (at http://www.linux-usb.org/policy.html) and install it.
+  Enable HOTPLUG and KMOD, and build a modular kernel.  Get agent
+  software (at http://linux-hotplug.sourceforge.net) and install it.
+  Then your kernel will automatically call out to a user mode "policy
+  agent" (/sbin/hotplug) to load modules and set up software needed
+  to use devices as you hotplug them.
 
 PCMCIA/Cardbus support
 CONFIG_PCMCIA
Documentation/usb/hotplug.txt renamed from Documentation-2.4.0/usb/hotplug.txt +14 -5
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-USB HOTPLUGGING
+LINUX HOTPLUGGING
 
 In hotpluggable busses like USB (and Cardbus PCI), end-users plug devices
 into the bus with power on.  In most cases, users expect the devices to become
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       loading a kernel module; newer drivers can use modutils to
       publish their device (and class) support to user utilities.
 
-    - Bind a driver to that device.  That's done using the USB
+    - Bind a driver to that device.  Bus frameworks do that using a
       device driver's probe() routine.
     
     - Tell other subsystems to configure the new device.  Print
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
 such programs are called "policy agents" here.  Typically they involve
 shell scripts that dispatch to more familiar administration tools.
 
+Because some of those actions rely on information about drivers (metadata)
+that is currently available only when the drivers are dynamically linked,
+you get the best hotplugging when you configure a highly modular system.
+
 
 KERNEL HOTPLUG HELPER (/sbin/hotplug)
 
@@ -40,9 +44,14 @@
 dispatch; any other argument and environment parameters are specified by
 the subsystem making that invocation.
 
-A reference implementation of a /sbin/hotplug script is available at the
-http://www.linux-usb.org website, which works USB for but also knows how to
-delegate to any /etc/hotplug/$TYPE.agent policy agent present.
+Hotplug software and other resources is available at:
+
+	http://linux-hotplug.sourceforge.net
+
+Mailing list information is also available at that site.
+
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 USB POLICY AGENT