cvs commit: src/sys/netgraph ng_base.c src/sys/sys kernel.h

[John-Mark Gurney]

Scott Long wrote this message on Mon, Jan 10, 2005 at 14:33 -0700:
> Simon L. Nielsen wrote:
> 
> >On 2005.01.10 13:28:17 -0700, Scott Long wrote:
> >
> >>Simon L. Nielsen wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>@@ -69,3 +69,7 @@
> >>>.An -nosplit
> >>>This manual page was written by
> >>>.An Alexander Langer Aq alex at FreeBSD.org .
> >>>+.Sh BUGS
> >>>+.Nm
> >>>+only marks which modules are required for the module to work, it does
> >>>+not influence start-up ordering.
> >>
> >>It also is used by the loader and by kldload to load the dependent 
> >>modules.  So it's more than just an informational tag, it actually does
> >>get used by the system.
> >
> >
> >I don't think the above says it's only informational, but I'm sure the
> >wording could be improved.  Perhpaps somebody has a suggestion for
> >better describing the issue?
> >
> 
> Well, I guess my point is that it's important to document exactly what
> MODULE_DEPEND does do, and well as what it doesn't do.  It's not really
> a bug that it doesn't change SI_ORDER order, it's just a not a feature
> that it was ever intended to support.  A second paragraph under 
> DESCRIPTION that talks about this would probably be most appropriate.
> Something like:
> 
> .Nm
> provides hints to the kernel
> .Xr loader 8
> and to
> .Xr kldload 8
> to ensure that the named dependency is loaded prior to the existing 
> module.  It does not change or dictate the order in which modules are
> initialized at runtime.

This looks good, though it doesn't hint to kldload, since it will be the
kernel linker than does dependancy loading (look at
linker_load_dependencies in kern_linker.c)...

it definately should NOT be in a BUGS section as it was never intended
to influence startup order...

-- 
  John-Mark Gurney				Voice: +1 415 225 5579

     "All that I will do, has been done, All that I have, has not."