OpenIPMI initscript, package dep on OpenIPMI-libs and net-snmp-libs

[Matt Domsch]

On Wed, Oct 12, 2005 at 11:20:49AM -0400, Jeremy Katz wrote:
> On Wed, 2005-10-12 at 09:13 -0500, Matt Domsch wrote:
> > Could we put the initscripts into their own tiny package, e.g.  OpenIPMI-initscript?
> > How would that work for upgrades, when going from a system with
> > OpenIPMI-1.4.x to OpenIPMI-1.4.(x+1) plus
> > OpenIPMI-initscript-1.4.(x+1)?
> 
> That's going to lead to pain on upgrades.

That's why I'm asking.

> And what does the initscript even do if you don't have the
> application available?


The initscript loads kernel drivers, based on the hardware you've got
and the driver features you want.  The hardware isn't PCI or
USB-based, so there's no hot plug mechanisms invoked to autoload them.

The OpenIPMI tools and libraries open /dev/ipmi0 and issue ioctls.
Other tools not packaged with OpenIPMI (read: OMSA) can do the same
thing.

The initscript loads several things:
1) low-level hardware drivers (ipmi_si, or ipmi_smb)
2) optional: the device interface module (ipmi_devintf which creates /dev/ipmi0)
3) optional: ipmi_watchdog hardware watchdog module
4) optional: ipmi_powercycle reboot notifier, which triggers the BMC
   to powercycle or power off the system as requested.


ipmi_watchdog and ipmi_powercycle can be loaded, and provide useful
features, in the absense of other userspace libraries and apps.

Thanks,
Matt

-- 
Matt Domsch
Software Architect
Dell Linux Solutions linux.dell.com & www.dell.com/linux
Linux on Dell mailing lists @ http://lists.us.dell.com