[228] in linux-scsi channel archive
kernel enhancements
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (jduersto@kendall.mdcc.edu)
Mon Jun 5 01:57:01 1995
From: jduersto@kendall.mdcc.edu
To: linux-kernel@vger.rutgers.edu
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 01:14:01 +0000
CC: linux-scsi@vger.rutgers.edu
I was re-reading an old message regarding someone's enhancements to
the SCSI device system (whereby SCSI devices were referred to by
controller, ID, LUN, and partition instead of detected order), and it
occurred to me that it would be very nice to have a system similar to
the device numbering system that would identify which kernel options
were included, and which were not. Each section of the kernel
configuration file could be divided up into major numbers (SCSI
options, SCSI drivers, sound card drivers, sound card options,
networking options, network card drivers, etc...) and minor numbers
(each option or driver within the major section...). Each driver
would be assigned its major number depending on which section it was
added to, and each minor number would be an increment of the driver
before it. This information then could be stored as a file in the
/proc file-system (/proc/kernel-options maybe?). Besides making it a
lot easier to determine which kernel options were included without
having to go back to your original /usr/src/linux/.config file, the
minor numbers could be of some use in the SCSI
controller/ID/LUN/partition numbering scheme. By replacing the
controller number (which was until this point determined as
detected), the controller number could be set to the kernel-option
number. This would alleviate my problem where I like to have my MO
drive on my Adaptec 1542 and my hard disk on my NCR 53c810. With my
MO on, it becomes /dev/sda, moving my SCSI hard drive to /dev/sdb,
and the system gets confused when the root file-system is no longer
where it was. I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem...
Any comments? Criticisms? Suggestions? etc?
Jason Duerstock
jduersto@kendall.mdcc.edu
jasond@mdcs2.cs.mdcc.edu
