Message-ID: <3C4401CD.3040408@debian.org>
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2002 11:17:49 +0100
From: Giacomo Catenazzi <cate@debian.org>
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To: Linux Kernel List <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
        "Eric S. Raymond" <esr@thyrsus.com>
Subject: Autoconfiguration: Original design scenario
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Hello.

There are a lot of noise about autoconfiguration.
And the scenarios of ESR are not my original scenarios,
for which I worked autoconfigurator for nearly 1.5 years.


A lot of people already compiles the kernel.
(Why? Maybe ESR or other people haw sudied this, but
I don't know the answer)
proof: using the facts:
- there are a lot of kernel.org mirrors.
- posting in the user lists

The people will ocmpile the kernel without the
distribution's configuration, removing not needed
drivers.
(I don't have a proof, but the people that use .config
from distribution, normally use also the updated kernel
source package in the distribution.)

Finding card -> configuration is not easy.
You buy a network card (ethernet), which is the correct
driver? And the usb photo machine? The sound card?
Some info are in configure.help, but you should parse
20/50 entries before maybe to find your card name.


I designed autoconfigure to help these people.
So (at the beggining) a not complete detection,
but used to help the people that ALREADY normally
compile the kernel.


[ In Alan diary, I found that he tried some drivers
before to find the driver for Telsa new tape.
Autoconfigure will help also hackers.
Hmm. Was the card ISA? so forget the above example
]


So do you think autoconfigure can be usefull for people?


After adding a lot of detection and configuration in my
database I found that in a modern machine, autoconfigure
can build a complete and working configuration.

ESR read me autoconfiguration in this late stage, so
he thinks about the 'single button' step for some
aunts, students...

In summary: the autoconfigure is already usefull (IMHO)
for a lot of people.

The other ESR scenarios are 'add-on' without extra working.
They can be usefull, we can make it, but we should see if
distributions/users like the 'one key configuration and
building kernel'. Reading some *-users lists and doing
some support in IRC, I think think people wuould like
to use it.

Anyway these 'add-on' are nearly off-topic to lkml

	giacomo

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