parport0 device in 2.6.3

From: Sidney Cadot (sidney_at_jigsaw.nl)
Date: 02/28/04 

Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 00:49:29 +0100

Hi all,

I'm having trouble getting /dev/parport0 to work on my Debian GNU/Linux
system. I need this to talk to some special-purpose hardware.

Specifically, the /dev/parport0 is bound to a character device with
major ID 99, but I cannot get a character device 99 to appear in my
/proc/devices.

I would appreciate any clues on how to solve this.

Symptoms:

root@wopr:~# ls -l /dev/parp*
crw-rw-rw- 1 root root 99, 0 Jun 26 2003 /dev/parport0
crw------- 1 root root 99, 1 Feb 27 23:48 /dev/parport1
crw------- 1 root root 99, 16 Jun 26 2003 /dev/parport16
crw------- 1 root root 99, 2 Feb 27 23:48 /dev/parport2
crw------- 1 root root 99, 3 Feb 27 23:48 /dev/parport3
crw------- 1 root root 99, 32 Jun 26 2003 /dev/parport32
crw------- 1 root root 99, 48 Jun 26 2003 /dev/parport48

root@wopr:~# echo HELLO > /dev/parport0
bash: /dev/parport0: No such device

root@wopr:~# lsmod
Module Size Used by
parport_pc 35180 0
mga 107564 26
vmnet 28240 12
vmmon 87896 0
binfmt_misc 10504 1
iptable_nat 22956 1
ip_conntrack 32368 1 iptable_nat
iptable_filter 2752 0
ip_tables 17792 2 iptable_nat,iptable_filter
af_packet 22152 2
parport 43688 1 parport_pc
8250 20384 0
serial_core 23680 1 8250
apm 18092 0
via_agp 7616 1
agpgart 32104 2 via_agp
snd_ens1371 23204 2
snd_rawmidi 25184 1 snd_ens1371
snd_seq_device 8328 1 snd_rawmidi
snd_pcm 100196 1 snd_ens1371
snd_page_alloc 12164 1 snd_pcm
snd_timer 25860 1 snd_pcm
snd_ac97_codec 62980 1 snd_ens1371
snd 55972 10
snd_ens1371,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_ac97_codec
soundcore 9888 1 snd
rtc 12664 0
unix 28272 261

root@wopr:~# cat /proc/devices
Character devices:
   1 mem
   2 pty
   3 ttyp
   4 /dev/vc/0
   4 tty
   4 ttyS
   5 /dev/tty
   5 /dev/console
   5 /dev/ptmx
   7 vcs
  10 misc
  13 input
  14 sound
116 alsa
119 vmnet
128 ptm
136 pts
180 usb
226 drm

Block devices:
   3 ide0
  22 ide1

Best regards,

   Sidney