Baslinux mailing list

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On 16 Mar 08 at 19:58, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

>So far as I understand, USB functionality is only partly implemented in BL3.

USB functionality depends on the kernel: it requires Linux 2.4. 
The USB modules for 2.4.31 kernel allow to exchange and mount 
USB devices. It is, however, not yet very user-friendly.  
Since the introduction of 2.4 kernels to Slackware, the USB support 
has been further improved, e.g. after plugging in a new device, 
will be mounted automatically. 

That means the basic USB support can be added to any BL installation 
by using one of Sindi's or David's 2.4.31 kernels at startup. 

A newer kernel, however, requires more hardware resources. 
BL3 is designed for minimal hardware. If your computer has no 
problems with a bigger kernel, probably it would work also 
with BL2 or a newer Slackware version. Those could be a better 
option for the given PC. If not, Sindi's quite special compiles
could minimalize the size of the 2.4 kernel. 

It is not very clear to me what will be lost in a current BL 
installation, if you permanently use the 2.4 kernel instead
of 2.2.26. I remember only that svgalib and the programs which 
make use of it, eg. zgv stop to work, and pppd needs to be 
replaced. Another issue is the fact that USB memory devices 
and a CD-ROM RW drive both use scsi. 

Due to these problems you may want to preserve the 2.2.26
as the general boot option and use the 2.4.31 only occasionally, 
e.g. when you want to copy data from USB storage to the hard disk 
or review pictures from a camera. 

As long as only console applications make use of the USB devices
(zgv, links, mc, CD burning) it could be an alternative to 
collect them on a RAM disk installation of BL2. Sindi contributed 
a 2.4.31 kernel that works with an 8MB RAM disk. I created
a RAM disk package called usbtools.gz that contains everything
necessary to: 

- mount all hard disks, CD drives, USB storage devices available 
on the system by very simple to use scripts
- copy, move, delete etc. files on these devices with Midnight 
manager
- browse the web and local devices with links
- review photographs and graphic files with zgv (this actually does 
not work due to the problems mentioned above)
- burn CDs from any of the mounted directories with a couple of 
shell scripts

I am not aware if I have made this packet available online. 
If anybody is interested I will be able to do so. 

>If I recall correctly, Steven has compiled necessary modules for some USB
>devices to go along with the custom 2.2.26 kernel he compiled for BL3: is
>that correct, Steven? If one has such a device, one must download and insmod
>the correct modules to get it working under BL3.

Although these modules exist I cannot remember any confirmation
that they really work with anybody's USB storage devices. 

Christof

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