Hi,
One of the biggest disadvantages of linux in comparision with windows
(seen from the 'normal' users perspective) is the lack of hardware
autodetection. It often takes a long time for normal users without advice of an
other
linuxer to get the 'hole' system running.
Other distribution have made efforts, to provide a working autodetection
system, but i think, this isn the kind of autodetection and
autoconfiguration, what is suitable for a stable and usually well working
system like
debian-linux.
I will now propose an set of software, that should do the hole thing in an
well defined manner. After that, i will show, how to be able to create a
debian-hardawre-database.
HOW WILL IT WORK:
First we have the 'hwdetect'-command. This command checks the /proc/pci
and /proc/bus/pci for information, it can gather, and checks it hardware
database. Then it gives output like the following example:
[PCI-SLOT-1]
Device-Capabilities: Graphic-Display-Adapter, TV-Receiver
Name: NVidia GeFORCE 256 GTS
[Configuration Options]
XServerModule needed: blah blah
...
[other Slots]
...
[Motherboard]
Device-Capabilities: Isa-Bridge
Name: Blah Blah
After that, specialized program could help in automatically editing the
configfiles, including making backups automatically and showing to the user,
what was done.
This step also includes configuration advice for either
kernel-compile-options, or a bit easier, if there are preconfigured default
linux-kernels
where everything is precompiled in modules, this step will check the
/etc/modutils/ directory and install the needed software.
WHAT WILL NOT WORK:
It is, as far as i know, not possible, to detect isa-devices
automatically, but one could write a kernel-module, which uses it previleges,
to do the
automated ISA-HW-Detection. As you know, this could let the system crash, if
you have some special isa-devices, but i think, that soon, isa will not
beused anymore, so its no real problem.
But debian-linux should be a linux, that also can be found on older pc's,
so one should try it.
WHERE ARE OTHER PROBLEMS:
For isa-cards using jumpersetted irq's, those irqs must, as far as i know,
be marked in the PC-Bios as not to be given to PCI-Devices. So the
detection for those devices should be done at kernel-boot-time somehow. I'm
waiting
for suggestions, how to solve that problem.
HOW TO CREATE THE DEBIAN-HARDWARE_DATABASE:
There is lots of hardware around, and lots of hardware needs special
konfiguration to work correctly.
To build a pool of hardwareinformation, one (maybe I) could build a little
program, that everyone, that likes linux, should execute one time on his
PC. This program will gather information of your PC and will generate a human
readable file of your /proc/pci and /proc/bus/ and e.g. /etc/X11/,
/usr/src/linux/.config, /etc/modules7 and others, and will ask you a few
questions,
which hardware is perfectly running on your system without problems.
Those files have to be mailed back to base, where another proggi could
parse your configs and suggestions, to build a
device-TO-configuration-Database.
HOW TO SHIP THE DATABASE TO THE USERS:
There could be debian-packages like hwdb-graphicadapters, hwdb-soundcards
and so on (splitted, to keep updates small), and hwautodetect (the detector)
and hwautoconf, which will provide routines for aiding you in rewriting
your configuration files.
Please send your suggestions to that problem!
Is someone interested in building a team of hardwareAutoconfigurators?
sincerely
Daniel Migowski
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