Re: [gentoo-dev] rfc: locations of binaries and separate /usr

[Rich Freeman]

On Wed, Jan 4, 2012 at 7:58 AM, Arun Raghavan <ford_prefect@g.o> wrote:
> Does mdev support all the rules we have in /lib/udev/rules.d/? The
> Internet is surprisingly mute on this subject, but a quick grep
> through the busybox source doesn't turn up anything that suggests that
> it might.

I think the main use case for mdev is to do a one-time creation of
typical device nodes with minimal use of resources.  Perhaps you might
say mdev is to udev as dash is to bash (though dash is
syntax-compatible with bash, or at least it aims to be, and I'm not
sure the same is true of mdev vs udev).

If you're running a server or embedded device and you just need it to
detect your hard drives and maybe a few devices you're willing to
write scripts for, then it is a perfect choice.  I have no idea how
well it supports hotplugging of usb devices and such.

For a desktop - it seems like a poor choice.  By the time you enhanced
it to do everything udev does you'll ruin it for embedded use and
probably be stuck with all the same issues we have with udev.  Fork
udev if you must (good luck with that), but I don't really see mdev as
being a real competitor.

By all means write up an mdev howto and link it in the embedded guide
or if enough users are passionate about it perhaps even link it in the
handbook (as an alternative for adventurous users with special needs).
 However, I just can't see it ever becoming the default on a
general-purpose distro like Gentoo (which aims to be all things to all
people as much as is supportable).  Certainly it is in the spirit of
Gentoo to support it as an option for those willing to deal with the
downsides (don't expect your bluetooth keyboard to work automagically,
etc).

Rich