Device drivers - where to begin ?
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Ask Donald Becker
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· Score: 5, Interesting
Hello Donald,
I'm a perl hacker (with a bit of C knowlege) and have made a good career out of it so far.
However, lately I've found myself getting interested in the linux kernel and specifically, device drivers.
My question is.. Where to begin ? I've seen your name in several drivers in the linux kernel (specifically to my case, the Intel EtherExpress Pro 10/100 card) and have spoken to you on usenet on occasion.
What should a complete beginner like me learn to get into this area ? Specifically, kernel modules in general, hardware drivers in general, researching how to deal with a specific piece of hardware...
Any developer who puts the username and password in a URL should be shot.
And any user who sees their password in the URL in plainsight and doesn't complain, or stop using the services, shouldn't be allowed near a computer to begin with.
I don't get it.
The simple truth is, every single "copyright protection" scheme has to allow the un-encrypted raw data (video or audio) to reach the playing component (speakers for a sound system, speakers + tv for a DVD player, etc etc etc..)
So why worry too much ? Let the SACD player play the SACD track, grab the output, pipe it through your sound card with an mp3 encoder waiting on the other end, and presto.
It's a bit more work compared to popping the CD in your drive and clicking "rip", but if you're adamant about getting your songs on MP3, this is barely an obstacle.
If you want a small, efficient and fast WM for the linux desktop do checkout FluxBox. The nice thing about it is that you don't need a desktop environment such as GNOME or KDE to make Fluxbox usable, since it provides an efficient built-in launcher.
It's not appealing if you want bells and whistles, but if you want something that's fast and functional, do give it a shot.
Slashdot Mirror
Hello Donald,
:)
I'm a perl hacker (with a bit of C knowlege) and have made a good career out of it so far.
However, lately I've found myself getting interested in the linux kernel and specifically, device drivers.
My question is.. Where to begin ? I've seen your name in several drivers in the linux kernel (specifically to my case, the Intel EtherExpress Pro 10/100 card) and have spoken to you on usenet on occasion.
What should a complete beginner like me learn to get into this area ? Specifically, kernel modules in general, hardware drivers in general, researching how to deal with a specific piece of hardware...
Thanks for any tips
It's called supply and demand. They want porn, someone will give them porn. They want lots of porn, someone will give them lots of porn.
Any developer who puts the username and password in a URL should be shot. And any user who sees their password in the URL in plainsight and doesn't complain, or stop using the services, shouldn't be allowed near a computer to begin with.
You should see the quality of the copper lines there :-)
In that case get FluxBox or something similar.
I don't get it. The simple truth is, every single "copyright protection" scheme has to allow the un-encrypted raw data (video or audio) to reach the playing component (speakers for a sound system, speakers + tv for a DVD player, etc etc etc..) So why worry too much ? Let the SACD player play the SACD track, grab the output, pipe it through your sound card with an mp3 encoder waiting on the other end, and presto. It's a bit more work compared to popping the CD in your drive and clicking "rip", but if you're adamant about getting your songs on MP3, this is barely an obstacle.
Mary Poppins
If you want a small, efficient and fast WM for the linux desktop do checkout FluxBox. The nice thing about it is that you don't need a desktop environment such as GNOME or KDE to make Fluxbox usable, since it provides an efficient built-in launcher. It's not appealing if you want bells and whistles, but if you want something that's fast and functional, do give it a shot.