[syslinux] Using NIC-Specific Information to Choose a Config-File

[Ady]

> On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 5:50 AM, Ady <ady-sf at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > And
> >
> >  LABEL install2
> >      COM32 nictype.c32
> >      APPEND --deviceid --config
> >
> > would read DDDD only and point to a config file with name "____DDDD".
> 
> This I'd say is likely to cause issues rather than benefits.  When
> would someone ever have two or more independent vendors using the same
> device ID that you want treated identically?
> 
> If we assume Ethernet and 802.11 devices are bootable, let's compare
> Intel (8086) and Broadcom (14e4):
> 4220, 4222 are a place where the two match.  The disparity between
> these two pair of cards is enough in my opinion to say that's a bad
> idea.
> 
> -- 
> -Gene

My reasoning about matching different possible patterns (in any 
position) was not about looking for 2 independent vendors using the 
same device ID (to take the above example), although the effective 
result is the same.

The way I was thinking about it was from a "more-ignorant" point of 
view. For example, let's assume I don't know about the device ID or 
the vendor values. Let's assume I don't even know those are 4 
"characters" each, or the order between vendor and device ID. Or, in 
this context, let's say I don't remember the exact vendor and that I 
only remember the device ID value. I could be testing, or trying 
different configurations, or troubleshooting...

So under these circumstances, I wouldn't care about the first 4 
values. I just want to use the device ID for whatever I am doing 
(testing, trying, troubleshooting...).

I could extend this scenario. Say I remember the 7th and 8th values. 
Or for a different example, say the 3rd and 4th values are the same 
for the cases (hardware) I want to test for comparison. In such 
scenario, I don't even want to match the 4 complete values (to 
neither the vendor nor the device ID). I would want to match those 
specific positions and move on. For this scenario, the "--vendor"  
and "--deviceid" options are not "fine-tuned" enough. A more specific 
matching pattern would be needed, as in "xxxxxxDD" or "--xxVV" (or 
change "x" to underscore characters).

Now, I understand that all this might probably be less useful and 
less common (and not worth the effort). What I am trying to present 
here is possible ways to make it flexible yet univocal. As long as it 
allows possible future expansions for future situations that are not 
yet presented, and as long as it avoids "non-univocal" situations (a 
config file name or label length of 4 values, for example), any 
matching method is fine.

My point is that "fixing" the matching pattern to 8 values (always 
interpreting those 8 values as VVVVDDDD and nothing else) might limit 
future possible developments. The "--vendor" and "--deviceid" options 
(or some more adequate equivalent) could be introduced now so to 
cover the first 8 values as requested, and other patterns could be a 
future development, if the need presents itself.

Best Regards,
Ady.