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Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:25:23 -0700 (MST)
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To: jhb@freebsd.org
From: "M. Warner Losh" <imp@bsdimp.com>
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References: <200902060937.55724.jhb@freebsd.org> <498C55BB.3030606@icyb.net.ua>
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Cc: avg@icyb.net.ua, freebsd-arch@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Trimming the default /boot/device.hints
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In message: <200902061106.41235.jhb@freebsd.org>
            John Baldwin <jhb@freebsd.org> writes:
: On Friday 06 February 2009 10:22:35 am Andriy Gapon wrote:
: > on 06/02/2009 16:37 John Baldwin said the following:
: > > 
: > > Yes, it only needs the hint for it to be a console device.
: > > 
: > 
: > I am slightly confused as to how that hint works then, it's not like a
: > standard isa hint it seems.
: > Can it somehow be built-in (into the code)?
: 
: It works "normally" during the new-bus attach, but the low-level console code 
: probably checks for it early on as well.  The serial console code works that 
: way.  The uart(4) and sio(4) drivers explicitly look for uart/sio hints to 
: find possible console devices.  This is separate from when the ISA bus adds 
: uart/sio devices from the hints later on.

sio could be loaded as a driver, and still be the console driver.  But
it had to be loaded from /boot/loader.

Warner