Re: [gentoo-user] Kernel options and udisk

[Dale]

Michael Mol wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 3:08 PM, Dale <rdalek1967@×××××.com> wrote:
>> Michael Mol wrote:
>>> On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 2:26 PM, Dale <rdalek1967@×××××.com> wrote:
>>>> Michael Mol wrote:
>>>>> On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 2:00 PM, Volker Armin Hemmann
>>>>> <volkerarmin@××××××××××.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Am Montag, 17. September 2012, 12:34:12 schrieb covici@××××××××××.com:
>>>>>>> OK, sorry if this is a dumb question, but I did search for it using make
>>>>>>> menuconfig, but could not actually find it!  I have all my usb host
>>>>>>> controller drivers as modules, if that makes any difference.  I am using
>>>>>>> 3.4.0-gentoo.
>>>>>> hit / in menuconfig. It is there.
>>>>> Although I do believe you need to remove the CONFIG_ prefix before you search.
>>>>>
>>>> Also, there are also other options that must be turned on for it to show
>>>> up.  I had to enable other things before I could find it in the menu.
>>>> This is another reason I asked the question on whether it is really
>>>> needed or not.  It wasn't just one thing I had to enable but a couple
>>>> other things too.  I'm still not sure I need either of those but . . .
>>> You do, for the same reason you need electricity; you may not use
>>> electricity directly, but something you use does.
>>>
>>> Similarly, you may not need this config option, but something you use
>>> does (or something you use uses something you use which does).
>>>
>>> Further, the config option won't be available unless all of the things
>>> _it_ uses are enabled. So, if this config option X isn't available
>>> because it needs config option Y, you need config option Y, because
>>> you need config option X, because you need udisks, because you need
>>> something which needs udisks.
>>>
>>> So if some option X says "don't enable this unless you need it", and
>>> you need some option Z, which says it needs option X, then, yes, you
>>> need option X, because you need option Z.
>>>
>>> This is what Volker meant when he said that there was no 'unsure' at
>>> play. Since you're sure you want udisk (because you installed it),
>>> then, logically following, you're sure you want whatever udisk depends
>>> on. (Either that, or you're not being logical. ^^ )
>>>
>>
>> But, I was still unsure.  If it wants me to enable the option for
>> battery monitoring, do I do that too?  I don't have any batteries but it
>> wants the option enabled so to use your logic, I must need it because it
>> asks for it even tho I don't use it and can't use it.
> When it comes to software, even if you don't actively use a thing, you
> may depend on it being there. The reasons involved could come from any
> of dozens of programming issues you may be unaware of or uncaring of;
> it could come from the need of a programmer to simplify his reasoning
> about a system in order to simplify his code (or the problem his code
> is trying to solve). It could come from some automatic linking process
> that looks for a symbol even if the function that symbol represents is
> never called in practice. It could come from some indirect artifact of
> the thing being there.
>
> You're trying to apply a holistic reasoning basis to a deterministic
> dependency problem. That kind of logic is the same kind of logic that
> leads to stories such as "but why won't you plug in your computer?"
> "because it makes a lot of noise. Why won't my computer work?"
> "Because it needs power, so you need to plug it in." "But it makes a
> lot of noise."
>
> Apologies for the crass analogy, but it really is the same thing, just
> at a different technical depth.
>

But as I said, the package did compile without it.  Since it did compile
without it, it was not a hard, must have, requirement.  If the package
would have failed to compile, then I would either have to get rid of the
package or enable the option.  The message said it should have the
option just like one should give the computer power.  Thing is, my
system was working just fine without the option before.  Heck, I still
may not really need the option.  The software would just like to have
it.  I may even be able to get rid of the software which would be the
next thing if I didn't choose to enable the kernel option.  I'm pretty
sure it is KDE that is pulling all this extra stuff in. 

Now that I know more about the option, I added it.  Maybe when I reboot
it will be happy.  ;-) 

Dale

:-)  :-) 

-- 
I am only responsible for what I said ... Not for what you understood or how you interpreted my words!