This is a reference implementation with the debian mkinitrd-tools package. It shows how to identify the firmware files necessary for drivers in the initrd and also includes a primitive system for loading them.
I've tested this with the aic94xx driver using the new MODULE_FIRMWARE() tag. Initramfs should be much easier because it already includes most of the boot time loading; all it has to do is the piece identifying the firmware for the selected modules. James --- Index: initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/mkinitrd =================================================================== --- initrd-tools-0.1.84.1.orig/mkinitrd 2006-08-28 13:37:30.000000000 -0500 +++ initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/mkinitrd 2006-08-28 16:33:28.000000000 -0500 @@ -950,6 +950,7 @@ add_modules_dep() { return elif ! [ $oldstyle ]; then add_modules_dep_2_5 $VERSION + add_firmware $VERSION return fi @@ -1016,6 +1017,25 @@ add_modules_dep_2_5() { fi } +add_firmware() { + ver=$1 + set -- $FSTYPES + unset IFS + + cat modules.? | + while read junk mod junk; do + modpath=$(modprobe --set-version "$ver" --list $mod) + if [ -z "$modpath" ]; then + continue; + fi + p=$(modinfo -F firmware "$modpath" |sed 's/^/\/lib\/firmware\//') + if [ -n "$p" ]; then + echo $p + echo /usr/sbin/firmware_loader + fi + done +} + add_command() { if [ -h initrd/"$1" ]; then return Index: initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/firmware_loader =================================================================== --- /dev/null 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000000000 +0000 +++ initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/firmware_loader 2006-08-28 16:56:18.000000000 -0500 @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +#!/bin/sh -e +# +# firmware loader agent +# +FIRMWARE_DIRS="/lib/firmware" + +if [ "$SUBSYSTEM" != "firmware" ]; then + exit 0; +fi + +if [ ! -e /sys/$DEVPATH/loading ]; then + echo "/sys/$DEVPATH/ does not exist" + exit 1 +fi + +for DIR in $FIRMWARE_DIRS; do + [ -e "$DIR/$FIRMWARE" ] || continue + echo 1 > /sys/$DEVPATH/loading + cat "$DIR/$FIRMWARE" > /sys/$DEVPATH/data + echo 0 > /sys/$DEVPATH/loading + exit 0 +done + +# the firmware was not found +echo -1 > /sys/$DEVPATH/loading + +echo "Cannot find the $FIRMWARE firmware" +exit 1 + Index: initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/debian/rules =================================================================== --- initrd-tools-0.1.84.1.orig/debian/rules 2006-08-28 16:07:52.000000000 -0500 +++ initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/debian/rules 2006-08-28 16:08:56.000000000 -0500 @@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ install: install -o root -g root -m 644 \ echo init linuxrc debian/initrd-tools/usr/share/initrd-tools/ install -o root -g root -m 755 \ - mkinitrd debian/initrd-tools/usr/sbin/ + mkinitrd firmware_loader debian/initrd-tools/usr/sbin/ install -o root -g root -m 644 \ mkinitrd.conf modules debian/initrd-tools/etc/mkinitrd/ ifeq ($(DEB_HOST_ARCH),powerpc) Index: initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/linuxrc =================================================================== --- initrd-tools-0.1.84.1.orig/linuxrc 2006-08-28 16:30:30.000000000 -0500 +++ initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/linuxrc 2006-08-28 16:40:45.000000000 -0500 @@ -10,3 +10,7 @@ echo 256 > proc/sys/kernel/real-root-dev mount -nt tmpfs tmpfs bin || mount -nt ramfs ramfs bin echo $root > bin/root +if [ -x /usr/sbin/firmware_loader ]; then + echo /usr/sbin/firmware_loader > /proc/sys/kernel/hotplug +fi + Index: initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/init =================================================================== --- initrd-tools-0.1.84.1.orig/init 2006-08-28 16:54:52.000000000 -0500 +++ initrd-tools-0.1.84.1/init 2006-08-28 16:55:01.000000000 -0500 @@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ get_cmdline [ -c /dev/.devfsd ] && DEVFS=yes mount -nt devfs devfs devfs +mount -nt sysfs sysfs sys if [ $IDE_CORE != none ] && [ -n "$ide_options" ]; then echo modprobe -k $IDE_CORE "options=\"$ide_options\"" modprobe -k $IDE_CORE options="$ide_options" -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]