Re: Making powerd=YES default

[Adam Hoka <adam.hoka%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:52:21 +0200
Marc Balmer <mbalmer%NetBSD.org@localhost> wrote:

> Am 25.07.11 14:38, schrieb Jean-Yves Migeon:
> > Dear all,
> > 
> > Would it be acceptable to turn powerd on by default? Rationale follows:
> > 
> > My current save/restore code for Xen makes use of it. The way the Xen
> > API is designed does not permit sending back notifications to dom0 to
> > inform that suspension cannot be done, and this ends up with a xm(1)
> > command sleeping ~forever without the user's knowing why.
> > 
> > IMHO this is quite inconvenient from an admin's perspective, and the
> > only ways around are:
> > 1 - to have powerd(8) enabled by default,
> > 2 - let the domU start it (assuming he knows that he has to) before
> > firing suspend events. Assuming that the dom0 admin is not necessarily
> > the domU's admin, this can be problematic.
> > 3 - completely circumvent powerd(8) by managing the event in kernel, and
> > let the pmf(9) threads perform the sleep for us.
> > 
> > IMHO, 1) looks like the best trade off. 3) feels awkward, because it's a
> > choice that says powerd(8) might not be necessary for suspension, which
> > is a departure from delegating power management to userland.
> > 
> > Opinions welcome. if no one objects, I'll go for 1) in a week or so :)
> 
> My opinion is:  It should *not* be enabled by default, but rather during
> system install time, i.e. in sysinst, towards the end of the
> installation, the user should be asked a few questions:
> 
> - Do you want to run powerd by default?

It's like: Do you install NetBSD on a machine not from the garbage?
powerd on i386/amd64 pretty much part of the hardware support
(although some of us would like to have less of its functionality in
userspace, eg possibility to use aps, without touching the disk)

> - Do you want to run sshd by default?
> - etc.
> 
> sysinst can then taylor /etc/rc.conf accordingly.
> 
> (The OpenBSD installer asks such questions during install, you might
> want to check that one to see what I mean.)
> 
> 
> 


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NetBSD - Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability