Re: Driver that works only when module is loaded late, not from loader.conf

Martin Cracauer wrote:
> I didn't see a reply but I think this might be be symptom of a larger
> issue that we might have to fix for 6.0.
> 
> I found an Ethernet driver which works fine if you load it via kldload
> in a running system but it does not work when loaded in loader.conf.
> 
> The bug is http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=kern/82497
> 
> Here's the cut'n'paste:
> -----------------------
> 
> 
> Release
>     -current of today 
> Environment
> 
> FreeBSD wings.cons.org 6.0-CURRENT FreeBSD 6.0-CURRENT #4: Tue Jun 21
> 16:37:57 EDT 2005
> cracauer_at_wings.cons.org:/usr/src/sys/amd64/compile/WINGS64  amd64
> 
> 
> 
> Description
> 
> I recently got an AMD64 socket 754 board with Via K8T800, an Abit
> K8V-Pro, which has a if_vge Gigabit Ethernet.
> 
> This works only when you load the module after the full machine is up.
> 
> If you put if_vge_load="YES" into loader.conf you get:
> 
> Jun 21 19:32:46 wings kernel: vge0: <VIA Networking Gigabit Ethernet>
> port 0xb8\
> 00-0xb8ff mem 0xe3014000-0xe30140ff irq 22 at device 14.0 on pci0
> Jun 21 19:32:46 wings kernel: vge0: MII read timed out
> Jun 21 19:32:46 wings kernel: vge0: failed to start MII autopoll
> Jun 21 19:32:46 wings kernel: vge0: MII without any phy!
> Jun 21 19:32:46 wings kernel: device_attach: vge0 attach returned 6
> 
> If you don't load it from loader.conf it works fine.
> 
> I have mii compiled into the kernel.
> 
> 
> How-To-Repeat
> 
> Put if_vge_load="YES" into loader.conf 
> 
> reboot.
> 
> You will not get an interface and you'll have the above message in
> /var/log/messages.
> 
> 
> Fix
> 
> You can work around it by loading the module later.
> 
> It is not clear to me what is going on here.  Since I have mii
> statically compiled into the kernel it is not a case of just
> forgetting to load a dependency.
> 

What happens if you compile it into the kernel?

Scott