Installed Mandrake 10.0 with all updates. I edited the /etc/modules.conf file by adding the line
"alias /dev/parport0 ppdev" just as I always have on my previous Mandrake installs to have access to my parallel port scanner. For some reason ppdev is not loading. "insmod ppdev" resullts in an error message > no such file or directory.

What am I missing?

Thank's.

There was a change with Mandrake 10, I think perhaps related to the 2.6.x kernel, that altered the module stuff. The change was significant. For example, ide cdwr's no longer require scsi emulation for function. So, what scanner do you have?

As a test, you might try to boot with the 2.4.x kernel, and see if it works like the old way. It seems a new kernel requires new configuration.

I have a HP Scanjet 3200C Parallel port scanner. I had this working on alll previous versions of Mandrake & RedHat by adding the alias ppdev line to the /etc/modules.conf & installing the Sane-backends & editing the dll.conf & umax_ppconf files. Mandrake had no problem setting up my Epson parallel port printer.

In my searching I saw a few posts about ppdev patches for kernel 2.6 & another one about ppdev now being a "character device".

Wondering how I can get the ppdev problem solved.

Any help will be appreciated!

Thank's.

Got it working! I used the command modprobe videodev & then modprobe ppdev. This then loaded both & then I was able to detect my scanner. Don't know why I needed to "modprobe videodev" to be able to load the "ppdev" module > if someone knows why I wouldn't mind an explanation.

Thank's.

Well, I don't know why, but there have been several issues with modules and having to modprobe all the time. Even nvidia has been having trouble. It might be related to an error in Drake tools. But I don't know.