Please explain how hotplug works in lay terms.

From: Al. C (no.spam.acanton_at_take.out.adams-blake.no.spam.com)
Date: 02/06/05 

Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2005 17:29:40 GMT

I run Slackware 9.1 with KDE.

I have a cheapo Palm pilot and use Jpilot for it. Works fine. But I don't
understand HOW. No matter which USB port I plug it into it works. The key is
 the link:
 /dev/pilot -> /dev/ttyUSB1

Can someone explain in lay terms what is going on here?

I read some of:
http://linux-hotplug.sourceforge.net/?selected=overview

but it's pretty technical. I'm just trying to figure out how the kernel knows
that no matter what USB slot I plug in my Palm, it lets Jpilot find it.

Second question.

Given this entry in /etc/fstab
/dev/sda1 /mnt/sony vfat user,noauto

If I plug in my camera I can open it with /mnt/sony via a KDE desktop icon.

Say I had a second camera or a printer or whater and I plug it into a second
slot, it becomes sda2, right? I'd have to have an entry in fstab for that as
well, correct? What happens when I unplug the first device. Does sda2 become
sda1?

I'm looking at buying a USB printer and don't understand which of the 4 USBs I
should plug it into (or does it matter?), and what to put in fstab if
anything.

Thanks,
Al

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