Category: Most Improved Kernel Module

So often the kernel gets all the credit. We decided to be a little pickier and have people vote for the most improved module in the Linux kernel. A driver you really like? Support for that really cool piece of hardware? Or maybe you just really think that bob.o has just some of the prettiest hacks your eyes have seen in it. Regardless, vote away.

Comments

The PCMCIA driver modules.

[Hanno]

I think this is the only logical vote.

I am a long-time Linux user with different laptops and so I experienced first hand how much work David Hinds and a number of helpers have put into them.


Just look at it:

- From its early beginnings, the modules were a more and more *complete* set of hot-swap drivers long before similar hardware (usb) existed.

- David & Co. have created drivers for most every PCMCIA card on the market (I know what I talk about, I have used a number of very strange cards, a PCMCIA-connected floppy drive for the Toshiba Libretto among them). Of course, there will always be cards missing. But still, the sheer number of drivers in the PCMCIA modules are incredible.

- They have done so even for those PCMCIA cards without proper developer documentation.

- David's work was not included with the kernel for a very long time becaus of design decisions by the core kernel developers. Nevertheless, he has kept on supporting this *external* set of sources for many years and made it compatible to most kernel versions at any given time (the same source distribution was compatible with 2.0.x, 2.2.x and 2.3.x for some time).

- Also, the source's Makefile is compatible with every distribution I know of - out of the box. (The PCMCIA modules require some modified init-scripts).


So yes, the PCMCIA modules are an incredible effort that have come a long way over a long time and are very solid piece of software. I possibly wouldn't use Linux without them.


------------------