This file describe the layout of device information files in the hal

source tree and their three different applications. It should serve as

a brief guide for IHV's and third party open source projects on how to

integrate with hal.

Said third parties need to name their files in a unique manner using

the following format: <organization>-[<model>]-[<purpose>].fdi. As a

device information file can be used to match several models the model

field may be omitted (the <purpose> field may be useful if the <model>

field is omitted). The filename of a device information file must

contain only lowercase alphanumeric characters, the '-' and '_'

characters, and not any whitespace.

Device information files are processed in the following order:

1. Preprobing

-------------

Contains device information files that are used to handle exceptional

conditions such as telling hal to ignore a device and all children

(using info.ignore), run programs to upload firmware or configure

the device in an otherwise non-standard way that is incompatible with

probing routines in hal (using info.callouts.preprobing) [1].

These files are processed BEFORE the device have been been probed.

Subdirs are installed in $(sysconfdir)/hal/preprobe (e.g. /etc/hal/preprobe)

preprobe

|-- 10osvendor # From the hal tarball and/or supplied by the os vendor

| # -> installs into /usr/share/hal/fdi/preprobe/10osvendor

|-- 20thirdparty # 3rd party projects and IHV's install here

| # -> installs into /usr/share/hal/fdi/preprobe/20thirdparty

`-- 30user # Installed by the user/admin

# -> installs into /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe/

[1] : http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/hal/2004-August/000858.html

2. Information

--------------

Contains device information files that describe hardware such as what

kind of media a card reader uses (compact flash, memorystick etc),

what out-of-tree kernel drivers are needed, whether the device is a

camera and not just a harddrive.

These files are processed AFTER the device have been probed but before

any policy device information files.

Subdirs are installed in $(datadir)/hal/fdi (e.g. /usr/share/hal/fdi)

information

|-- 10freedesktop # From the hal tarball

| # -> installs into /usr/share/hal/fdi/information/10freedesktop

|-- 20thirdparty # 3rd party projects and IHV's install here

| # -> installs into /usr/share/hal/fdi/information/20thirdparty

`-- 30user # Installed by the user/admin

# -> installs into /etc/hal/fdi/information

3. Policy

---------

Contains device information files that describe policy for hardware

such as what callouts and addons to run for a device.

These files are processed AFTER the device have been been probed and

also AFTER the information device files have been processed

Subdirs are installed in $(sysconfdir)/hal/policy (e.g. /etc/hal/policy)

policy

|-- 10osvendor # From the hal tarball and/or supplied by the os vendor

| # -> installs into /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/10freedesktop

|-- 20thirdparty # 3rd party projects and IHV's install here

| # -> installs into /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty

`-- 30user # Installed by the user/admin

# -> installs into /etc/hal/fdi/policy