[TD-Linux]

The lineage is hardly an excuse - PC started out just like ARM is, with manual IRQ assignment, no hw detection, and the like. But this was solved in the mid-90s with plug and play standards. It's really sad that in 2015, embedded SoCs still don't have anything comparable.

[digi_owl]

The difference was that this was done using actual manual actions, not hardcoding in the source and then compiled it into the kernel.

IE, everything lived on separate boards that was removable and thus replaceable. Also known as user serviceable.

The SOCs are neither, and thus there is a different mental approach to them. Them and the board they live on are basically considered disposable.

[akhilcacharya]

Wouldn't that considerably increase bloat?

[TD-Linux]

Dynamic module loading means that it would only increase disk usage. You could always package the modules separately if disk space comes at a premium.

[astrobe_]

> Dynamic module loading means that it would only increase disk usage.

Disk? You mean, mass storage?

Hardware detection is definitely bloat on this kind of system, because there isn't much variety to begin with.

PnP was created to let people less ans less RTFM-inclined to install new hardware on an platform that won its market share because of its extensibility.

SOCs and SBCs OTOH are generally used in closed embedded systems that are often not at all designed for evolution. Using auto-detection would be a waste of resources and potentially cause problems.