Re: 2.6.0-test4, psmouse doesn't autoload, CONFIG_SERIO doesn't module

[jeff millar]

From: "Andrey Borzenkov" <arvidjaar@xxxxxxx>
> > 1. Why doesn't the PS/2 mouse autoload as a module?
> > Running 2.6.0-test4, psmouse doesn't autoload as a module.  Oddly,
neither
> > gpm nor X complains about the missing module, the mouse just doesn't
work.
> > But if I modprobe psmouse, the cursor starts moving.  I verified that
> > /dev/psaux uses char-major-10-1 and that it has an "alias
char-major-10-1
> > psaux" in modprobe.conf.
>
> because in 2.6 user-level programs do not speak with low-level hardware
> drivers anymore. psmouse feeds events to input midlayer that dispatches
> them to those handlers that expressed interest. And those handlers speak
> with user-level tools.
>
> /dev/psaux is an *emulated* ImPS mouse that is not related to any
> real hardware. It will convert events from _any_ mouse you have into
> PS/2 protocol for users but if there is no mouse it just sits there
> and waits.

> /dev/psaux is provided by mousemod not psmouse.

> In general there seems to be no way to load low-level input drivers
> on access because there is no instance that ever accesses them. And
> as it stands now there is not way to auto-load using some other means.
> So we are back in static configuration times ...

Ok, I guess.  But isn't there some module reference that can trigger the
install of psmouse?

> > 1. What does kmod send to modprobe?  From looking at modprobe.conf
apparently "char-major-x-y".
>
> only for misc devices. It is char-major-X for most others

> > 2. Does kmod send any other strings to modprobe?

> no.

> > 3. Documentation/kmod.txt says "passing the name (to modprobe) that was
> > requested", couldn't this be more explicit?

> what exactly do you mean?

Something like "...passing the name of the device in the form
'char-major-x-y' for misc devices and 'char-major-X' for others"

BTW, could kmod just pass the name of the file from the open() call?
Modprobe could look up the major-minor and/or users could create virtual
devices.  For example, I create a file /dev/my_psaux which is a symlink to
/dev/psaux, the name gets passed to modprobe.  modprobe looks it up and
finds that it's not a device file and looks for an alias, and finds psmouse,
loads it,...problem solved.

thanks for the info,

jeff

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