USB-00

Summary of Change

The install kernel for the December 2007 release of HP-UX 11i v2 contains an EHCI driver (USB 2.0 hi-speed capability) which significantly decreases the time necessary for the operating system install from local USB devices. This enhancement does not affect the speed of installs from iLO/vMedia devices nor is it available in the runtime kernel once the system has been installed from media.

	IMPORTANT: Starting with this release, the USB Bulk-Only Mass Storage driver will be installed and configured by default on any system which has a USB host controller present at the time of install—whether or not there is a USB mass storage device present. Previously, the Mass Storage driver was only configured if a USB mass storage device was present at install time. This led to confusion for customers who did not have such a device present at install time but later added one (e.g., a supported keychain device). Now, such a supported device added later will work immediately without further administrative action. The USB mass storage capability can be disabled if desired for security or other reasons by deconfiguring it from the kernel using the kcmodule command.

Additionally, several defects have been fixed.

Impact

The USB experience should be of higher quality - with less problems. The operating system install from local USB devices will be faster.

Compatibility

This USB product is not compatible with any application that accesses human interface devices (HID) through the legacy HID device special files in /dev/hid. Instead, applications should use the mouse and keyboard device special files provided in /dev/deviceFileSystem (/dev/deviceFileSystem/keyboardMux for keyboards attached to the USB and /dev/deviceFileSystem/mouseMux for mice attached to the USB).

Performance

Installs from local USB devices will be faster.

Documentation

For further information about the USB product, see the USB READMEs in /var/adm/sw/products.

Obsolescence

Not applicable.