Subject: root, swap configuration
To: None <tech-kern@sun-lamp.cs.berkeley.edu>
From: Adam Glass <glass@sun-lamp.cs.berkeley.edu>
List: tech-kern
Date: 11/14/1993 23:46:18
It seems like root/swap are tied together too closely.  Prime evidence
is the use of 'config vmunix swap generic' which also implies things
about the location of root.  A better split would allow for better
support for the useful variations: dataless, diskless, miniroots, etc.

It seems like the first thing that must occur, is config must generate
the 'mountroot = rootsource' assignment.  The root generic case can be
handled via a 'askname'-type mountroot.  Currently this assignment
takes place in vfs_conf.c and swap_nfs.c in ugly circumstance.

swap could be handled similarly by generating an assignment to
'mountswap'.  The possibilities would be a routine that implemented
'swap generic', a 'askname'-variant, and a "swap nfs".

It would be cool also if all the askname/generic variants took
advantage of a disk table generated by config, and modified by
autoconfig.  I think this partially occurs now.

Anyway, I feel i'm missing important details, and some pitfalls.
Please comment.

later,
Adam Glass


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