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On Thu, Aug 16, 2007 at 11:08:39AM -0400, Herbert Graf wrote:
> On Thu, 2007-08-16 at 10:29 -0400, Chris Smolinski wrote:
> > I run into this with FTDI chips. They in fact added the unique serial 
> > number as a "feature". The PC I use for programming them has over a 
> > hundred COM ports so far. I am not sure when Windows will run out ;-)
> > AFAIK you can program them with the same serial number, but in order 
> > to program them, you have to plug them in, and Windows needs to 
> > install the driver...
> > 
> > One solution would be to write a programmer for the Mac; it doesn't 
> > install a new driver for each device. It is smart enough to realize 
> > the existing driver works OK. Hmm.. since the direct drivers are now 
> > out for the Mac, that's a possibility...     I wonder if the same is 
> > true for lunix also.
> 
> For linux the common USB->serial converter drivers are either built
> directly into the kernel, or dynamically loaded as a driver module on
> bootup. There is no "driver install" step. As with some many thing on
> Linux these days: "you plug it in, and it just works".

Yup. I have specificly used FTDI-based devices, both simple usb->serial
converters and FTDI chips built into things like PIC programmers and
logic analyzers. The linux drivers don't give a hoot about serial
numbers and the above problem is a non-issue.

> Who would have thought there would be a day where installing a new
> device in Linux would be LESS work and bother then Windows?

I know! I've been using Linux for years now, Debian mainly, which never
had that great a reputation for ease of use. The new Debian Etch release
keeps on surprising me with how much stuff "just works"

- -- 
http://petertodd.org
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