Messages in this thread | | | Date | Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:01:02 +0100 | From | jerome lacoste <> | Subject | Re: CD writing in future Linux (stirring up a hornets' nest) |
| |
On 1/25/06, Jens Axboe <axboe@suse.de> wrote: > On Wed, Jan 25 2006, Jan Engelhardt wrote: > > > > > > > >- you don't need -scanbus. If > > >users think they do, it's either because Joerg brain washed them or > > >because they have been used to that bad interface since years ago when > > >it was unfortunately needed. > > > > Now you're unfair. > > -scanbus does a nice output of what cdwriters (and other capable devices) > > are present. For me, that lists the cd writer and a CF slot from the > > multitype usb flash reader. > > > > There's one kind of not-so-advanced linux newbies that just go to walmart, > > buy a computer and whack a linux system on it for fun, and they still don't > > know if their cdrom is at /dev/hdb or /dev/hdc. Looking for dmesg is > > usually a nightmare for them, and apart that -scanbus lists scsi > > host,id,lun instead of /dev/hd* (don't comment on this kthx), it is > > convenient for this sort of users to find out what's available. > > > > So, and what about that compactflash reader? It is subject to dynamic > > usb->scsi device association (depending on when you connect it, it may > > either become sda, or sdb, or sdc, etc.), and -scanbus yet again provides > > some way (albeit not useful, because it lists scsi,id,lun rather than > > /dev/sd* - don't comment either) to see where it actually is. > > You just want the device naming to reflect that. The user should not > need to use /dev/hda, but /dev/cdrecorder or whatever. A real user would > likely be using k3b or something graphical though, and just click on his > Hitachi/Plextor/whatever burner. Perhaps some fancy udev rules could > help do this dynamically even. > > If you are using cdrecord on the command line, you are by definition an > advanced user and know how to find out where that writer is. > > -- > Jens Axboe
As an non expert who just wants his boxes to work out of the box, I feel that the above message best represents the issue at end.
Joerg seems to be concerned by 2 things: - the portability of his application accross various platforms - provide an end-to-end application for writing CDs from both the command line and to various 3rd party front ends.
Providing a cross platform way to reference the devices seems to help him achieve that goal.
Linux developers seem to see the world in a different way. Their main requirements: - compliance with the linux way of doing things - ultimately a front end should hide all the dirty details. That doesn't mean a command line version has to hide them as well, nor that cdrecord should be the interface to ask things the operating system can provide
So it looks like: - from a cdrecord point ov view, Linux is broken. - from a Linux developers point of view, cdrecord is doing too much and forces things up.
<very naively>
As a developper with absolutely no competence in this area, I wonder something: I don't see why the way to refer to a device affects the ability to perform the functionality (write to it).
Isn't it possible to reorganize the code in such a way that the burning part can be independent of the way the devices are referred to?
I downloaded the code and quickly looked at it. If I am looking at the right version, it seems that the cdrecord code that relates to both cd burning + the Linux specific part is not that big (and very readable, thanks Joerg). So I really don't understand why this issue doesn't get fixed.
</very naively>
As with the communication problems between Joerg and the Linux developers, if someone was stepping up to be the bridge betweem the 2 parties, couldn't that minimize the risk of flame wars?
cdrecord, how important is Linux to you? Linux, how important is cdrecord to you?
If you 2 can't get along, just divorce! It's 2006 after all. And the code is open. Otherwise, talk together or use a counsellor and make this relationship work.
Jerome - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
| |