Re: isapnp(4) - how does it work on non-PnP machines?

[Felix Deichmann <m4j0rd0m0%gmail.com@localhost>]

2015-11-16 20:46 GMT+01:00 Christos Zoulas <christos%astron.com@localhost>:
> I think that you could either modify the isapnp driver not to allocate,
> or the specific driver to free the ones it does not use, or creater
> an isa driver that just occupies the resources.

OK, that is also what I thought. I just wanted to get an idea of the
"cleanest" solution which could also be reused. A "reserve" driver
doesn't seem to be that bad, something like "rsv0 at isa? port 0x398
size 2".

> But why? Why does it matter? What else is going to use them?

The machine in question has a National PC87311A Super I/O controller
[1] which uses two configuration registers (pin-configurable to be
either at 0x398/0x399 or 0x26e/0x26f)... So I thought it might be good
to protect these ports and  prevent allocation when ISAPNP cards are
there, too (I admit this can be theoretical as I don't know yet if a
conflict will actually arise).
AFAIK, we do not have a real driver for that to occupy the resource
and don't require one, as the registers are mainly for the BIOS to
enable and configure port addresses of COM ports, floppy controller
etc.

Felix

[1] https://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/sites/default/files/ees/files/NI/pdfs/01/13/DS011362.pdf