Choosing hotplug handler during installation

ralph.ronnquist · 2024-06-15 22:42:04

Yes, Great! Thanks, Aitor.

The most recent excalibur preview iso still uses the home-cooked "just in case" method as basis for the driver module loading; slightly improved from the daedalus isos' "all, whatever" method, but it still lacks the subsequent hotplug handling to better guarantee proper handling of less common h/w.

And then, I was secondly thinking of the prospect of a later additional debconf dialog (set) that would also offer a "vdev or eudev" choice for the installed system. This idea is just a twinkling in the back of my mind atm as I'm not at all sure about dependency ramifications. It would be a fairly fundamental policy choice that would have some impact for all of the desktop installs.

Actually, anyone looking for an isolated Devuan project with high utility as well as deeply satisfying as cognitive challenge, but with well-defined technical boundaries and likely comfortably small in terms of final code line count (in short: Fun!), should make themselves known; I'd be happy guiding you over the shallow end of that pool.

ralph.ronnquist · 2024-06-16 23:08:50

NOTE: the above post was taken out of the GNIinOS thread as it was rather off topic there.

But the project idea remains.

ralph.ronnquist · 2024-06-20 01:34:53

Noone?

soren · 2024-06-20 08:09:41

Im no coder but if it is something an intermediate linux user can accomplish or help with I would be willing to give it a go? What are the requirements/technical boundaries?

ralph.ronnquist · 2024-06-20 11:02:38

Thanks, I think it does require coding though.

Generally a debconf dialog (set) is driven by a control script (typically an sh (dash) script) with successions of dialog building "commands", possibly in groups with intermediate decision logic. In this case it might be simply a single dialog for asking whether to use eudev or vdev, although designed so as to allow for expansion with further options. Then there would also be code for effectuating the choice at the appropriate time during an installation. I haven't thought about it in detail.

The debconf subsystem kicks in during package installation just prior to the processing of the postinst script. Thus this choice dialog software would be made as a package to be "automatically" installed so it then brings up the dialog. This would be similar to other debconf dialogs, and that is really the reason for implementing within that paradigm. I suppose the point is to fit it into the current installer framework which therefore requires a bit of learning about that framework.

There is also a point in that "hotplug handling" is kind of a forgotten concept area where a single solution (udev) has become unduly dominant whilst having grown into a rather opaque complexity. Perhaps one would be better off with something less opaque and complex?

aitor · 2024-06-20 15:25:07

Ralph Ronquist wrote:

Generally a debconf dialog (set) is driven by a control script (typically an sh (dash) script) with successions of dialog building "commands", possibly in groups with intermediate decision logic. In this case it might be simply a single dialog for asking whether to use eudev or vdev, although designed so as to allow for expansion with further options. Then there would also be code for effectuating the choice at the appropriate time during an installation. I haven't thought about it in detail.

I think I can do that because I did something very similar in the past for i386 iso images giving choices between kernel with PAE or non PAE

soren · 2024-06-21 08:05:25

@ralph

Thanks for that info, I probably wouldn't be much help then.

It is quite an interesting area in regards to debian configuration though, debconf is a very smart tool ive always taken for granted, eg locales, keyboard, fonts etc. So yeah i agree, if something less opaque for hotplug handling were developed it would be a unique idea and perhaps circumvent systemd encroachment if that were something to look out for in regards to udev moving forward.

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#1 2024-06-15 22:42:04

Choosing hotplug handler during installation

#2 2024-06-16 23:08:50

Re: Choosing hotplug handler during installation

#3 2024-06-20 01:34:53

Re: Choosing hotplug handler during installation

#4 2024-06-20 08:09:41

Re: Choosing hotplug handler during installation

#5 2024-06-20 11:02:38

Re: Choosing hotplug handler during installation

#6 2024-06-20 15:25:07

Re: Choosing hotplug handler during installation

#7 2024-06-21 08:05:25

Re: Choosing hotplug handler during installation

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