svn: head/sys/i386/conf

[M. Warner Losh]

In message: <20090106224658.GB3130 at onelab2.iet.unipi.it>
            Luigi Rizzo <rizzo at iet.unipi.it> writes:
: On Tue, Jan 06, 2009 at 02:02:17PM -0800, Maxim Sobolev wrote:
: > Luigi Rizzo wrote:
: > >+# through getenv() (or kenv(1) in userland). The format of the file
: > >+# is 'variable=value' , same as for hints files.
: > 
: > What do you think about extending comment with the following:
: > 
: > "hints files" -> "hints or loader.conf(5) files".
: 
: i don't know -- in fact, I have a curiosity here:
: loader.conf is processed by some code in loader.4th which in turn
: is interpreted by loader.conf, and this chain does some magic
: on certain variable names (and can also do $variable expansion).
: 
: Instead, I believe that 'hints' (and presumably 'env' values) are
: passed directly to the kernel, so there are no special manipulation
: of variable names or values. Is that correct ?

hints are either compiled into the kernel, or are loaded into the
kernel environment by reading /boot/device.hints.  There's nothing
really magical about it.  You could put all your hints into
/boot/loader.conf if you wanted...  If you compile them directly into
the kernel, the loader can't help...

Warner