TechNote: Common Sun Device Driver Names

Deciphering Sun device driver names can sometimes be tricky. The device names frequently have no relationship to what the device actually is. For example, the common hme fast ethernet driver. The Linux kernel's configuration helpfile claims that it stands for "Happy Meal Ethernet", although I have never been able to confirm or deny this through SunSolve. Below is a list of common driver names and what devices they correspond to.

Ethernet Drivers:

• lo--driver for Ethernet (10BaseT)
• hme--driver for Fast Ethernet
• eri--driver for Fast Ethernet
• ge--driver for Gigabit Ethernet

SCSI and Fibre Channel Drivers:

• scsi--driver for Small Computer Serial Interface (SCSI) devices
• fas--driver for fast/wide SCSI controllers
• isp--driver for differential SCSI controllers and the SunSwift card
• glm--driver for UltraSCSI controllers
• sf--driver for soc+ or socal Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop (FCAL)
• soc--driver for SPARC Storage Array (SSA) controllers