RE: devfs or fam4 what's the difference?

devfs is an in-kernel filesystem for /dev.. just like procfs is a filesystem
for /proc

devfs will automatically create device nodes in the /dev directory when
modules are loaded. devfs also lets you do other clever things like having a
writeable /dev filesystem on a read-only volume, and saves a bit of space
over having loads of /dev nodes stored on the disk. The intimateboot process
uses the fact that device nodes are created dynamically to work out what
device to try booting from.

Specifically, something like this happens.

1. Set up ramfs and procfs
2. Run cardmgr in one-pass mode (configure cards, then exit)
3. Have a look in /dev to see what devices we found. IDE? Network? etc
4. Boot off something.

It is possible to use intimate with or without devfs support if you're
prepared to hack a couple of scripts, but the defaults for everything are
_with_ devfs.

devfs is normally compiled into the kernel (not a module) so that it can be
auto-mounted as soon as we get a root filesystem. (if you add devfs=mount to
the linuxargs, then it will auto-mount)

Hope this helps.

Jim / Tangent

-----Original Message-----
From: intimate-admin@handhelds.org
[mailto:intimate-admin@handhelds.org]On Behalf Of Richard Deeming
Sent: 08 August 2001 16:54
To: 'ipaq@handhelds.org'; 'intimate@handhelds.org'
Subject: [Intimate] devfs or fam4 what's the difference?

Does anyone know what the difference is between the builds in
ftp://lorien.handhelds.org/pub/linux/feeds/demo/ that have devfs or fam4?
Other than spelling :-).

If somebody could send me a devfs arm module and indicate the /lib/module
path it resided in that would be so helpfull. Or better yet what ipk
contains the devfs module?

Reason....

During the install of Intimate an error came up, around the time of mounting
/dev/hda1, that devfs module not present. It continued to run so I let it.
After the installation I rebooted. Upon reboot the iPAQ locked up and there
was a message of devfs not present. Does any of this have anything to do
with the different builds (devfs/fam4)?

To get out of this jam I changed the boot param linuxargs back to pre
Intimate install. This worked. I had the bright idea of downloading the
kernel-modules*devfs*.ipk and installing that. Then restarted the Intimate
install. Initmate copied familiar modules to my hda1 drive. I was thinking I
was pretty smart. DO NOT DO THIS it is not so smart.

Any words of wisdom are welcome.
Thanks in advance for your time and input,
Rich
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Received on Wed Aug 8 09:09:31 2001