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sm-discuss - Re: [SM-Discuss] deprecate network module load/unload?

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  • From: Eric Sandall <eric AT sandall.us>
  • To: Juuso Alasuutari <iuso AT sourcemage.org>
  • Cc: sm-discuss AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [SM-Discuss] deprecate network module load/unload?
  • Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:53:40 -0700

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Juuso Alasuutari wrote:
> I suggest we remove the netconf feature to load/unload module on link
> up/down.
> Here are some reasons:
>
> - MODULE setting in netconf is misleading. One gets the impression that if
> you
> have the driver compiled as module, you have to select the module option,
> and
> that you can't select the static option. This is not true, because the
> module
> option is only used to load/unload the module. If you wish the module to
> not
> be loaded/unloaded, you have to select the static option, which isn't very
> intuitive.
> This alone is enough reason to at least rearrange the whole section, which
> would of course result in the menu being more complicated than it presently
> is. Just removing it completely would be very elegant in this sense. :)
>
> - ifplugd can't monitor the interface without a loaded driver. When it
> detects
> link down, it executes ifdown. If ifdown unloads the module, ifplugd can't
> function from that point on. This makes the MODULE setting (and its
> obscurity) especially relevant for many users.
>
> - ifplugd will be included as a netconf option in the future. I think
> readers
> can put two and two together and see how having the load/unload option will
> complicate things in terms of presenting valid options in netconf. It's a
> small jungle of conditionals out there.
>
> - For some, the load/unload feature isn't always working. (Well, to be
> honest
> I'm only referring to what ruskie said on #sourcemage once. Maybe he can
> give
> more info.)
>
> There is one reason I can think of to defend the existence of the MODULE
> option: no resources are reserved by unused network drivers. It helps keep
> the system as lean as possible.
>
> OTOH network drivers aren't generally much of a burden, and as Source Mage
> is
> highly dependent on a working connection anyway, there shouldn't
> theoretically be many moments when they're completely meaningless. Most
> distros simply load the drivers and leave them be, and I don't think we
> gain
> much from doing things differently in this case.

I think a better option would be to rework the netconf menu to be more
clear and add an option for loading/unloading the module. Netconf needs
to know about the module so that ifup can load $MODULE if it is not
loaded already. I currently use ifdown to specifically bring down my
network interface /and/ remove the module. If my module (b44) is not
unloaded I most often cannot get a new IP.

- -sandalle

- --
Eric Sandall | Source Mage GNU/Linux Developer
eric AT sandall.us | http://www.sourcemage.org/
http://eric.sandall.us/ | SysAdmin @ Shock Physics @ WSU
http://counter.li.org/ #196285 | http://www.shock.wsu.edu/
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