Steven M. Bellovin wrote:
> In message <43F9D537.8000305@tadpole.com>, "Garrett D'Amore" writes:
>
>   
>> Highly technical users might have fun compiling the kernel, but as *one*
>> such user, I can tell you that having worked with Solaris' LKM interface
>> it is *very* nice.  It even has a binary DDI, so I can ship *one* binary
>> module that works across a Solaris versions going back 5 years or more. 
>> And I do just that *EVEN FOR MY OPEN SOURCE DRIVERS*.  Why?  Because my
>> users want to pull down a binary and install it, they don't (usually)
>> want to recompile the source, even though they can do that from the same
>> location as the binaries.
>>
>>     
>
> I'm with you.  I've been hacking kernels (or the equivalent) since 1967.
> I'd much rather have LKMs.  If I were king, I'd decree that *all* 
> device drivers must be loadable, and *all* device drivers should be 
> dynamically loaded except for those that are necessary to boot the 
> system and read in new device drivers.
>
> 		--Steven M. Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb
>
>   
This seems so obvious to me, that I was quite surprised to find the
point contentious.  Anyway, as someone who is interested in it, I've
raised the question about what is needed to make it happen -- with a
willingness to provide some assistance if needed.

Of course, if there are technical concerns about whether such an idea is
good, then I think maybe core@ should set a direction.

-- 
Garrett D'Amore, Principal Software Engineer
Tadpole Computer / Computing Technologies Division,
General Dynamics C4 Systems
http://www.tadpolecomputer.com/
Phone: 951 325-2134  Fax: 951 325-2191