0001 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
0002 #
0003 # Parallel Line Internet Protocol (PLIP) network device configuration
0004 #
0005
0006 config PLIP
0007 tristate "PLIP (parallel port) support"
0008 depends on PARPORT
0009 help
0010 PLIP (Parallel Line Internet Protocol) is used to create a
0011 reasonably fast mini network consisting of two (or, rarely, more)
0012 local machines. A PLIP link from a Linux box is a popular means to
0013 install a Linux distribution on a machine which doesn't have a
0014 CD-ROM drive (a minimal system has to be transferred with floppies
0015 first). The kernels on both machines need to have this PLIP option
0016 enabled for this to work.
0017
0018 The PLIP driver has two modes, mode 0 and mode 1. The parallel
0019 ports (the connectors at the computers with 25 holes) are connected
0020 with "null printer" or "Turbo Laplink" cables which can transmit 4
0021 bits at a time (mode 0) or with special PLIP cables, to be used on
0022 bidirectional parallel ports only, which can transmit 8 bits at a
0023 time (mode 1); you can find the wiring of these cables in
0024 <file:Documentation/networking/plip.rst>. The cables can be up to
0025 15m long. Mode 0 works also if one of the machines runs DOS/Windows
0026 and has some PLIP software installed, e.g. the Crynwr PLIP packet
0027 driver (<http://oak.oakland.edu/simtel.net/msdos/pktdrvr-pre.html>)
0028 and winsock or NCSA's telnet.
0029
0030 If you want to use PLIP, say Y and read the PLIP mini-HOWTO as well
0031 as the NET-3-HOWTO, both available from
0032 <http://www.tldp.org/docs.html#howto>. Note that the PLIP
0033 protocol has been changed and this PLIP driver won't work together
0034 with the PLIP support in Linux versions 1.0.x. This option enlarges
0035 your kernel by about 8 KB.
0036
0037 To compile this driver as a module, choose M here. The module
0038 will be called plip. If unsure, say Y or M, in case you buy
0039 a laptop later.
