Subject: Re: A possible way of handling variant/common devices
To: Matt Thomas <matt@lkg.dec.com>
From: Curt Sampson <cjs@portal.ca>
List: tech-kern
Date: 03/28/1997 12:29:01
On Fri, 28 Mar 1997, Matt Thomas wrote:

> And treat the variant as a very thin bus?  It would make the config
> file a bit more complicated but it would allow more precise of what
> variants you do need to support.
> 
> This could be applied to the NE2000/WD/SMC driver as well.

I would find it less useful, because right now I can replace an
SMC card with a generic NE2000 clone and my machine continues to
work without modification. With your method, if I understand it
correctly, I would not only have to make sure that both types of
card were in the config file (SMC w/ shared memory vs. NE2K clone
using PIO), but I'd also have to rename my /etc/hostname.smc0 file
to /etc/hostname.ne0, or whatever.

The more cards a single driver can work with, the merrier, I say.

cjs

Curt Sampson    cjs@portal.ca		Info at http://www.portal.ca/
Internet Portal Services, Inc.		`And malt does more than Milton can
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