Jeff Kirsher | 18e635f | 2011-08-03 03:01:58 -0700 | [diff] [blame^] | 1 | # |
| 2 | # Parallel Line Internet Protocol (PLIP) network device configuration |
| 3 | # |
| 4 | |
| 5 | config PLIP |
| 6 | tristate "PLIP (parallel port) support" |
| 7 | depends on PARPORT |
| 8 | ---help--- |
| 9 | PLIP (Parallel Line Internet Protocol) is used to create a |
| 10 | reasonably fast mini network consisting of two (or, rarely, more) |
| 11 | local machines. A PLIP link from a Linux box is a popular means to |
| 12 | install a Linux distribution on a machine which doesn't have a |
| 13 | CD-ROM drive (a minimal system has to be transferred with floppies |
| 14 | first). The kernels on both machines need to have this PLIP option |
| 15 | enabled for this to work. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | The PLIP driver has two modes, mode 0 and mode 1. The parallel |
| 18 | ports (the connectors at the computers with 25 holes) are connected |
| 19 | with "null printer" or "Turbo Laplink" cables which can transmit 4 |
| 20 | bits at a time (mode 0) or with special PLIP cables, to be used on |
| 21 | bidirectional parallel ports only, which can transmit 8 bits at a |
| 22 | time (mode 1); you can find the wiring of these cables in |
| 23 | <file:Documentation/networking/PLIP.txt>. The cables can be up to |
| 24 | 15m long. Mode 0 works also if one of the machines runs DOS/Windows |
| 25 | and has some PLIP software installed, e.g. the Crynwr PLIP packet |
| 26 | driver (<http://oak.oakland.edu/simtel.net/msdos/pktdrvr-pre.html>) |
| 27 | and winsock or NCSA's telnet. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | If you want to use PLIP, say Y and read the PLIP mini-HOWTO as well |
| 30 | as the NET-3-HOWTO, both available from |
| 31 | <http://www.tldp.org/docs.html#howto>. Note that the PLIP |
| 32 | protocol has been changed and this PLIP driver won't work together |
| 33 | with the PLIP support in Linux versions 1.0.x. This option enlarges |
| 34 | your kernel by about 8 KB. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | To compile this driver as a module, choose M here. The module |
| 37 | will be called plip. If unsure, say Y or M, in case you buy |
| 38 | a laptop later. |